Cardinal Sin X: Hellfire
The Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Moon, 873 AD.
Aegos, Aegan Hills, Western Dathan.
The time of the trial was now. Any moment it would begin, and Admeta would be tried in front of the entire assembled powerbase of the theocracy. If he could best her in this court, then he'd have struck a tremendous blow to the foundations of this wretched edifice.
"Are you sure you'll be okay, Sin?"
He smiled at Spyridon's concern, his friend having worn the same worried expression for days now. Honestly, there was little that wouldn't make his friend afraid for Sin's life at the moment. It was quite endearing, in all honesty. He could think of worse people to have by his side than Spyridon, that much was certain.
"I'll be fine, Spy. This is our chance to see Admeta removed from the picture. It isn't pleasant, I know, but it needs to be done. She's too dangerous for us to trust anymore, too unpredictable to be counted on. Most importantly, she's too smart when it comes to playing this sort of political game. You and I need her gone to make sure our goals can succeed, our plans can come to fruition, and our people can breath freely once more. I'll be fine, Spy. Will you?"
His friend was still for a moment, then nodded with what at least seemed to be certainty.
"I will. It isn't something I'll enjoy, but then I haven't enjoyed much of what I've done these last few years. Why start now?"
Sin snorted at his friend's words, knowing that feeling all too well.
"Yeah, I get that. Still, we'll enjoy what we do soon enough. We just need to make sure we're fine when the smoke clears from today. You think you can manage that?"
Spyridon gave him an exaggerated salute, and Sin laughed again. It would be nice to go back to this sort of thing when the coming civil war was over, to live a life where he could simply enjoy himself alongside his friend and not worry about the sword that hung over his head at any moment. He'd often thought his life would have been much simpler if he'd just believed in the work of the theocracy, which was true, but he was more than pleased with the fact that he'd taken the difficult road in life and done what was right to the best of his abilities. It wasn't fun, no, and it certainly hadn't felt rewarding at times, but he'd done it anyway. It had exhausted him to no end back in Athio and it had stressed him to the point of madness in Aegos, but he had done it anyway. What that said about his character was more pleasing than any reward or praise Adikos could have given him, even if he'd have wanted a gift from those blood-soaked hands.
"Ah, the trial is beginning. I need to go back to my place by Adikos' side. Good luck, Sin."
Sin nodded his thanks to his friend and rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension he was feeling. It was time to put on a show. It was time to put on the most convincing act of his life. If he fucked this up... well, best not to think of that. If he succeeded however... well, that was certainly going to be fun. A lie to himself of course, for condemning one of the few people he'd ever trusted certainly wasn't liable to be something he enjoyed. Still, he had work to do at the moment, and thoughts of what was to come after all of this would only distract him from the goal he had been working towards this entire time. He couldn't afford to trip himself at the last hurdle; he needed to be focused.
Cardinal Admeta walked onto the stage, flanked by a pair of guards, and answered the questions put forwards to her with grace and dignity. The senate was strangely silent at the moment, but Sin knew all of that would change soon enough. He just needed to wait for his turn.
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Admeta walked off of the stage perhaps an hour later and was led off through a side passage, and there was no small amount of muttering as the assembled men of the church discussed what they believed should be done with the information that had been given to them. Soon after Sin was called into the centre, and all the chatter stopped. He walked out with purpose and swagger, confident in his abilities to bluff his way through any of the hardliner's questions designed to trip him up. He was Cardinal fucking Sin, and he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip him by.
A pair of guards flanked him up the stairs, spears in hand and stoic faces as he took his position in the centre and bowed before his master, the Archcardinal himself.
"Cardinal Sin, you here have brought some rather extraordinary charges before Cardinal Admeta. You also saw fit to take command of the Aegan Watch and have her arrested. Do you dispute that this this true?"
"It is true," he responded calmly but firmly, ensuring that his voice could be heard throughout the colosseum without being a shout, "but the charges are true and the arrest necessary. I apologise that it could not be done with more secrecy, but I needed to see to the security of the other men and women of the cloth before the prestige of our great nation. Prestige can be regained, but men and women who move beyond this world are lost to us forever."
There was another round of muttering and grumblings from around the senate as he finished his first statement, most of these clergymen likely surprised that he had cared enough to stop them from being targeted. Most people knew it to be an excuse of course, but they had no real evidence to prove that point and so it didn't matter.
"I see. Our own evidence found Cardinal Trios to be responsible, not Cardinal Admeta. Do you agree that, though your intentions were pure and none would see you punished for acting to save your fellow men of the cloth, by acting so soon you may have lacked critical evidence and as such jumped to a conclusion in accusing Cardinal Admeta?"
This was a tricky spot. If he agreed, things would be fine but he would lose his chance to depose Admeta. If he pressed his case Adikos would be pissed beyond belief at him, for they'd already talked about this, but there was a chance to see Admeta condemned to death as a result.
Well, he couldn't pass that opportunity up, could he?
"I respectfully disagree. It was she who handed over the poisoned wine, and it was she who wished me to drink it. She views me as a threat to her ascent, and as such wished to remove me from the church's hierarchy of succession before making her own moves to secure her power. This was planned by her, and it was she who carried it out."
Adikos' face was visibly red even from here, but Sin felt confident that he had done the right thing.
Up until Adikos spoke up again.
"I see. Well, in any case I'm afraid I brought you here under a false pretence. There was no way to get you here without doing this after all, and the evidence Admeta provided me has been substantial and shocking."
Sin swallowed hard as alarm bells started ringing in his head. No...
"You see, it is not Cardinal Admeta on trial today, but rather Cardinal Sin."
No...
"Cardinal, you stand accused of two-thousand four-hundred and twenty-two counts of treason, sixteen counts of murder, one count of abuse of power, and this council's personal favourite, one count conspiracy to further heathen beliefs. Do you deny these accusations?"
He smiled a little at that despite the danger he was now in. Hearing how he'd saved those people, waylaid their hunters, imprisoned Cardinal Admeta, and got away with his beliefs for years was enough. He said nothing, and so Archcardinal Adikos continued.
"Prove these beliefs false and rejoin the table at our side. You will need some good evidence to counteract that which has been brought against you, however."
"And why is that, your Holiness? I have only ever acted in your interest, have I not?"
Upon hearing the sound of shuffling feet he looked over to the entrance Admeta had been led out of, and saw her walking back out towards him with the looming figure of Ser Ezekiel at her side. His eyes widened a little at the black fury across the man's face, and at once he knew he was in grave danger.
Cardinal Admeta smiled at him. It was a smug and vile thing, not quite false but certainly not a true smile either.
"One of the heathens you 'saved' talked quite a bit of your plans. Your plans, and of your beliefs. A handful of silver and his life-debt to you suddenly vanished. It seems your wish to help these people has come back to bite you, Cardinal. Though you are no Cardinal of the New-Church in truth, are you? Bishops and deacons of the senate, inquisitors and paladins alike, this man before you worships at the Church of Saint Harald! He follows the Ichorian Cult, worshipping the family of the man who seized our great and fair city for his own! He may even cavort with other heretical or heathen beliefs! How can we trust him if he is not even one of us?"
He stared back, mouth gaping before he caught himself. He couldn't believe it. He'd saved these people and one of them had turned him in?
In one moment it felt like the floor had fallen away beneath him.
He heard one of the guards behind him shuffle somewhat, and though he wasn't sure whether they were readying themselves to arrest him he wasn't going to stand around and wait for them to have the chance. With a series of swift movements he had laid out both guards on the stone platform, his cane lashing out with great force and every motion leading directly into the next as though he were dancing. He wasn't going to be able to fight his way out of the senate, out of the city, but at the very least he might be able to buy himself a little time before working out his next steps. A disguise, a favour or two to the right people, and he might be able to get himself out of here. Captain Dessano and the Aegan Watch, maybe? It would have to be them, no maybe about it, for he had precious few friends besides them and Spyridon in this city. Of course he'd need to lay low for a while, to travel through the woods and fields instead of along the Aegan road, but honestly any plan was better than nothing at the moment.
Stolen story; please report.
But as he made to turn himself back around and face Admeta he heard the pounding of running feet, and all of a sudden Inquisitor-Paladin Ezekiel was upon him. As the two guards went down Ser Ezekiel had rushed towards him with his mace-arm drawn back, and without even the time to think or raise his arms in defence Sin found himself dazed on the ground, blood dripping down his face and his jaw in agony. Ezekiel stared down at him with a deep-seated hatred, and struck him in the chest with the blunt weapon as he lay there, barely moving.
"I told you I'd get you this time." the man said with a sneer of utmost contempt. "I'm not going to wait for you to dodge out of the way this time, daemon-host."
He did make a feeble attempt to roll out of the way, but in his dazed state he was barely able to move full stop. The two guards were still down, so he must have knocked them out, but looking around he could see perhaps two-dozen crossbowmen aiming their weapons from the lowest level of seats amongst the old senate seating area. All at once he came to a conclusion that probably should have terrified him, if not for his belief in something coming after all of this: he, Cardinal Sin, was going to die here. Today. There was to be no imprisonment for him, no tortured confession so that people may learn of where he'd squirreled the 'heathens' away. He was to die here, for he was too dangerous to be left alive.
Was that a pleasant thought or not? He wasn't sure. He hadn't been planning on dying just yet, but he guessed that it was bound to happen sooner or later.
As his mind raced with thoughts he heard Admeta speak up once more, her voice cutting through the fog of his mind and her movements making him feel nauseous. He just needed the world to stop moving for a minute before everything came crashing down again.
"Where are you hiding the rest of the heathens?"
Despite the state he was in that question made sure that at least some of his confidence returned, for at least now he could be certain that they didn't know where the persecuted were hiding! His mission had not failed in totality!
He smiled up at her, blinking blood out of his eyes and only vaguely registering that he could hardly talk. Still, he tried his best.
"I... thought you... knew. Stupid or... something?"
Admeta curled her lip a little at his words, though less at the insult itself and seemingly more at the fact that he hadn't used a bitter or mocking tone, but more one that entailed good-natured ribbing between friends. She shook herself a little, and though the motions were too slight for the thousands of people watching from the stands to see Sin could make them out perfectly well despite the nausea that watching people move made him feel at the moment.
"Who are your conspirators?"
He smiled and laughed. It was a weak, gurgling thing, but a laugh nonetheless.
Fucking tools. I didn't need help. I couldn't trust any of you, any of my ilk.
The mace came down again, and yet still he managed to laugh. The could take everything from him, but not the fact that he'd beaten them for so long. He'd spent two years playing them like fucking flutes, and there was nothing on heaven or earth that would ever let them forget it. In that sense, he'd already won.
"Where are the heathens hiding?"
He smiled up at Cardinal Admeta, and caught sight of his reflection in her ridiculous mirrored earrings. He'd never looked particularly bad if he did say so himself, and a great many had viewed him with attraction before now, but he doubted any would from now on. Not that he'd live long enough to test that theory, of course. His death was assured here. His face was now a bloody ruin, being covered in already-drying blood and his lower jaw hanging only by a connection to his left cheek, the right side severed and limp. It made it hard for him to spit in defiance as his tongue rolled around half-uselessly in his mouth, but he made do.
He spat at Inquisitor-Paladin Ezekiel with all the vitriol he could muster, just as he'd promised the man he would in the cells beneath the garrison. It was not saliva but a mix of blood, bile, and shards of shattered teeth that left his mouth. In some strange way that made his defiance all the sweeter; no matter how low he'd come, how injured he was, he wasn't afraid nor even regretful at how things had gone. In some strange way, he felt like everything was happening exactly as it was supposed to.
That was a nice thought, despite the pain. The journey wouldn't end for him here, no, but this leg was coming to its end. Somehow that thought didn't really phase him much.
Cardinal Admeta turned to the Arch-Cardinal on his throne, a mixture of distaste and piety in the expression she wore across her face.
"He will not confess, your Holiness."
With a guttural, stuttering breath and a great deal of effort he moved his head to look at the man he would once have called father for more than one reason, the man who had given him faith and who had practically raised him.
The man stared back. He was not angry. He was not sad. Just disappointed.
Sin rolled himself back to face the ceiling with as close to a sigh as he could manage. He smiled nonetheless. It was a tired, broken thing, but it was still a smile. Two-thousand four-hundred and twenty-two. That wasn't bad. Even if only a quarter survived, it was worth it. Hell, if one survived then it was worth it. A small part of him cried out that he could have done more, could still do more, but it was gently silenced by the rest of his thoughts.
He'd done what he could. He'd tried his best, and that was something. That would have to be enough.
Admeta leaned in close, and for a moment the scent of her sweet perfume took him back to his adolescence, back when he could truly call her one of his closest friends. Only for a moment, however. In but a second the smell was gone, and he was back on the floor of the Senate building. Somewhere up next to Adikos he could vaguely make out Spyridon's distressed form, but he didn't have time to worry about that. Spyridon would be fine, and would come out on top by the end of everything that came about as a result of this. He believed it with all his heart, no matter how small a chance his friend had in truth. With his death Adikos was basically consigning the theocracy to a premature dissolution anyway, so it didn't really matter anymore. He only hoped that the faith he had placed in his friend would be enough to see Spyridon and Aegos itself through to salvation.
"No-one will mourn you." Came Admeta's voice. Where the words would have come across as being cruel if they were said by anyone else, in this moment she was the scared little girl he had cowered besides with Spyridon in the cells beneath Aegos. In this moment she was sorrowful, almost tender, her normally affable tone falling away to despair. "To the masses you were a butcher. To us you were a traitor. No-one will cry at your passing. You may as well have never existed at all.
"But," she continued, "I will mourn you. I am not sorry it came to this, because what we do here is right, but I am sorry that you could not be saved. Goodbye, Sin."
Talking hurt. Thinking hurt. Hell, even breathing hurt, but he needed to know one last thing before he died.
His voice came out as a rasp, slow and stuttering.
"Did... do you... think that... Saints... would agree with this?"
She smiled, somewhere between pity and scorn. Her voice was a whisper, careful and measured to ensure not even the knight to her side could hear her.
"The only Saint that mattered was the First Saint, and he's long gone. All I can do is purge the unclean in his name to make the world right for our lord once again. What else is there for me to do but take centre stage myself to see the plan through to completion?"
He looked up at her, his breathing heavy and troubled as she continued.
"Of course, as you've said before, this entire farce is a play, and we're all actors. You've always been the villain, Sin, and with your death I will triumph over the darkness. It's a pity you fell so far, for we could have done so much together. If only you would have believed..."
Her voice trailed off a little, and for just the briefest of moments she seemed to be genuinely fighting down her emotions so that she might continue. Guilt, sadness, empathy, all buried beneath a glaze of piety. Saints, Adikos had really fucked up the three of them, hadn't he? It seemed that Spyridon was the only one who knew where his own thoughts ended and Adikos' began.
Sin pitied her, in a strange way. She was power-hungry, tyrannical, and overly-zealous, but she was just as much a victim as he was. At least he could take some solace in the knowledge that Adikos would fall soon after his death.
"If only... you... believed." He gave as a weak response, meaning every word. She was right when she said that the two of them could do great work together, but their paths had walked apart for far too long. They shared a desire to see the Archcardinal dead, but that was it. The rest was behind them.
"If only I had." She replied, her eyes misting over one last time before the hardness returned.
"Promise me," Sin started, his voice such a low rasp that Admeta had to lean closer still to hear him, "you'll... avenge us. All of us. You'll kill... that bastard. Please? For... all... of... us."
She nodded, the gesture harsh but strangely kind. If nothing else the two of them were in agreement that Adikos needed to die. He saw it there in her eyes, the certainty held within. Of course. She did care, in a strange way. She genuinely believed that she was doing the right thing. Oh, what had happened to them? When had their youthful optimism given way to harsh pragmatism? When had their piety turned them into monsters of different stripes? To her this entire farce of a trail was a way to secure her path to power so that she could do what she thought was right. Had she always truly believed in what they were to do, even back when they'd been children being raised by Adikos together? He wanted to believe it wasn't so, but truth be told he just didn't know. How strange, he thought to himself, that I was raised amongst actors and yet could never read her intentions. Oh well, he'd have plenty of time to contemplate that soon enough. At the very least he could rest assured in the knowledge that, if Adikos was right and people like Sin did go to hell for things they couldn't control, then Adikos would be a million fucking leagues deeper for the conscious and wilful evils he had committed through his life.
He didn't believe Adikos was right, though. And besides, he had a long journey to make before reaching heaven or hell.
Admeta gave him one last sad smile, then stood once more. For some reason Sin felt the urge to laugh once more. He laughed despite the pain it caused him, and he laughed knowing that death had come to him. For some reason he couldn't understand, he laughed his gurgling laugh harder than he ever had in his life. Blood spewed from his ruined mouth as he did so, and his entire body twitched and seized in pain as his shattered ribcage pressed against his lungs.
He didn't care about that, about the pain. He was too busy laughing at the absurdity of the situation they found themselves in. The two of them were possibly the only ones who had seen each other for what they were, had seen that they were vehemently opposed to each other, and yet still respected each other enough to just talk as equals even as he was being killed. They alone knew what the other was truly like, what the other truly believed in and cherished, and instead of working together had killed each other for it. A pity, but perhaps he should have foreseen this happening sooner. We always did make a hell of a team, but no-one could ever make us agree on a blind thing.
He felt... strange, in this moment. In a way he was almost relieved, since the suffering that had been his life was at last coming to a close. He'd done what he could, and he'd never be forced to endure another sleepless night in the cold cells under the Cathedral of Saint Mikah like he'd had to as a child. For most of his life he'd been scared of death even despite his belief in the Khidonean Doctrine, for if it was wrong he'd genuinely believed that his sinful nature would see him condemned to one of the many hells that existed beyond this world, and beyond the path that came after. In this moment he did not fear such a thing. In this moment he was struck by an almost supernatural force that told him no, you were never evil nor daemonic. You were a child trying your best. Sin was better than almost anyone else in the senate with him, for he had never beaten or starved children for perceived slights, nor had he burned the innocent for crimes that only existed in the mind of another. He had lived his life as a good, honourable person, and the little voice that for so long had been his bane, that had been screaming at him internally the entire trial to ignore the guards and kill Admeta while he had a few seconds of chance, assured him that... it assured him that once he had walked the path that came after, he was surely bound to reach the heavens.
From that moment until his imminent death, the voice in his head was blissfully silent. The dull ache that came from denying it was no longer present. There was only him, and there was only the forgiveness he had for himself. He'd done what he could, and for once in his life that felt like enough. For perhaps the first time in his life, Sin felt free.
His body wracked as he forced his way through the last few moments of his life, still in the throes of his final laugh.
Admeta nodded at the Inquisitor-Paladin, and the mace fell towards his head.
He screwed his eyes shut, and both the laughter and the pain finally stopped.
At least it was not the pyre in the end.