Chapter 2.

Act 2.1

Under the olive tree Lomu is looking towards the cathedral while Vera is trying to fit Lomu’s signet ring on.

Vera- keep looking and it will crack.

Lomu- I was wondering if my father is right.

Vera- about?

Lomu- about what Dim and he have started.

Vera- That is the will, isn’t it?

Lomu- so is this.

Vera- this is an urge, and it is forbidden.

Lomu- why?

Vera- I took an oath for one.

Lomu- is that it?

Voice- Is he hurt?

Dream fades.

Lomu finds himself in a dank dimly lit dungeon cell surrounded by Amir’s men.

Amir enters with a bandaged head.

Amir to guards- Leave us.

Guards promptly exit.

Amir to Lomu- Are you alright?

Lomu- What is this? What are you doing?

Amir- something I cannot control.

Lomu- those bandits, you knew they would come, you knew what they wanted that’s why you sent the cargo into the outpost. My men!?

Amir- Yes, they came before you. They told me what they wanted and that you would not get hurt, nor would you have if you had just let them take it.

Lomu- The pit! I could have died!

Amir- That?! That pit is older than this monastery, those spikes were nothing more than upright dust. I led you into them just to keep you at bay.

Lomu- The cargo, you know what’s inside.

Amir- I do, and I grieve with you, but I owe allegiance to the living not the dead.

Lomu- And what does Bishop Dim want?

Amir- Dim?

Lomu- I saw the bandits marks.

Amir- I don’t know ...

A Voice from the outside- any more than you needed to.

Lord High inquisitor entered the cell. The same voice, the same mask as he remembered in the throne room years ago, back then, however he seemed smaller crowded by his larger cohorts, now alone he was an imposing figure, even next to towering Amir.

LHI- Nor should he. We all have our parts to play, no need to bother with what is on my plate, while yours is full.

Lomu- YOU!?

LHI- Don't sound so repellent my prince, I have done nothing to offend you my lord...not yet.

Lomu- What do you want!?

LHI- answers.

Lomu- I will tell you nothing.

LHI- Good, Because I need them from you (turns to Amir) Where is the monk?

Amir- I had him, but when Lomu jumped me and started killing your men, I had to let him go.

LHI- My men don’t need a babysitter like you. You were sent here to make sure the monk didn’t get away. A task you have failed miserably.

Amir- I will find him; he couldn’t have gotten far.

LHI- Distance is not an issue, TIME is! Find Him Now!

Amir- What about him?

LHI- Bread and water... (exits the cell) Come I have no more time to spare.

Amir- Sorry brother, this will be over soon. You just need to trust me.

Amir Locks the cell and quickens his pace to catch up to the others.

As the light from their torches fades away another light dimly stays, illuminating the cell. The light appears in the wall, which starts to shift revealing an old monk holding a candle. Thimble thin with straight eyebrows and squinted eyes nestled between bags where eyes are meant to be. Wisps flowing down from his jawline looking more like brush bristles than a beard.

Monk- my, my, I am popular these days, aren’t I?

Lomu- You, you are the monk from the square.

Monk- Names Cardus. Thank you for coming to my aid my Lord, here let me help you with those.

Lomu- shackles need a key old man....

Old man fumbles with the shackles on Lomu’s feet and within a moment they unclasp.

Cardus- Everything in here was built by my design, these shackles included.

Lomu- Why is there a dungeon under the monastery.

Cardus- oh this is not a dungeon, these are cells for the weakest among us, beset by demons and visions. Sometimes they need to be held by forces greater than love or friendship to overcome struggles and urges. Shackles are nothing more than an instrument to keep them from hurting themselves. Granted the rooms have been neglected as of late.

Shackles on hands fall of as well.

Lomu- what do they want from you.

Cardus- insights, I suppose.

Lomu- We need to get out and reach my brother.

Cardus- getting out is not an issue, but once outside we will inevitable be snatched up. Inquisition is the only military from here to capital.

Lomu- Get me out of here, I will deal with the rest.

They take the path from where the monk came in and avoid the dungeon sentries on the way, having exited the maze, duo sneaks through the monastery basement to the chapel, while sneaking through the chapel they overhear the echoing grumblings of the ivory giant-

Amir- Your men are attacking my men! Tell them to stop!

LHI- They are being more thorough but pressed for time! Did you find the papers?

Amir- Monk was very secretive, I found neither map nor ledgers.

LHI- A year in here and you found nothing and lost him as well. I see the prospect of boons doesn’t motivate you De Lester, how about the prospect of doom?

Amir- Don't threaten me (reaches for his halberd) and call off your men!

LHI- I am not your usual prey De Lester, though you are about as mature, should I be talking to your nursemaid perhaps? Acquaint her of your predicament?

Amir- Nobody threatens me in my house!

LHI- I am not threatening you Amir, nor is this your house. I will pull my men back for now, fulfill your task and what is promised is yours when I get back.

Amir turns and starts walking away, but the inquisitor grabs him by the cloak and yanks until Amir falls to the ground. As Amir looks up, he sees a blade an inch from his nose.

LHI- Fail me Amir and you will not see the sunset.

As Lomu and Monk exit the monastery they start sneaking to the edge of town by following ornate shrubbery.

Lomu- What maps are they talking about?

Cardus- Amir was yanking me about those, probably the cathedral pathways.

Lomu- what do you mean?

Cardus- the Cathedral in the capital, I was overseeing the reconstruction during bishop Olus time, the structure was designed by Tarl smiths and Quaz architects, but the inner workings as well as all of its secrets were mine and Olus.

Lomu- wouldn't Dim have them already?

Cardus- Dim? HA he is a moron, spiteful, vindictive fool. He was more interested buggery, satin sheets and family secrets. 30 years ago, he was a nobody from here and nobody even heard of him in the capital. Those ledgers are mine and when I left, I took them with me.

Lomu- Where are they now?

Cardus- if they cannot find them and you don’t know either, they will remain in safety.

Lomu- I need them and if Dim wants he will tear this place down to find them.

Cardus- what good are they to you?

Lomu- You said it yourself, I cannot reach the city by road, but if I go to Laz, I can muster a small force and enter the capital from the coast...

Cardus- Through the Cathedral....Brilliant. Unfortunately, they are back at the monastery dormitories. Specifically, in the bedchambers of that moron. I saw him sneaking around at nights even visiting library during the day, I thought he had a proclivity towards mute wenches.... there are hollow bricks in the chimney, press upon the obsidian rocks without the divine sigil and a hidden compartment will reveal itself; That is where they are kept.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Path back alone is faster for Lomu, having been escorted by Amir inside he quickly finds his way around the hallways.

As he enters Amirs bedchamber he bolts to the fireplace and retrieves the ledgers. Upon turning to leave he takes a closer look at the room and sees something is off in it, from the time they entered when Amir was putting on boots to make haste for the caravan. There is another door just behind the bed and two of Amirs soldiers had been smashed through it. Curious Lomu peaks inside and hearing voices he steps inside. He descends into the secret chambers and ends up in the catacombs full of torture devices and cages. He sees his remaining men tied down in the cages.

The chambers are being patrolled by men in different uniforms.

Lomu rushes the guards practically mauling them, trying to finish the fight before anyone can run up for help. Having dispatched both sentries he unties his men.

Older Royal Escort - My Lord you are safe!

Lomu- Yes, we need to get out of here.

Older Royal Escort - No my Lord, not until we do our duty.

Lomu- what are you talking about?

Older Royal Escort - We need to descend further! And we need to do it now.

Lomu- there is not time if they discover us!

Younger Royal Escort - I will go and look for a safe way out.

Younger Royal Escort - They brought the cages here.

Reluctantly Lomu acquiesces to his guards demands and descends a couple of chambers further killing a few sentries along the way.

Having reached the penultimate chamber, Lomu sees a room filled with children. He approaches some, but the children shrink into the shadows afraid of the blood-soaked visage. The older royal escort in his shiny armor approaches the cages.

Older Royal Escort - don't worry children we will get you out, this is King Aradu’s son! a prince! He has come to save you.

A small child covered in dirt and soot steps ahead from behind the others and speaks to Lomu.

Child -My sister, they took her to the next room.

Lomu- yes... don’t' worry little man. Captain get them out, I will bring his sister back.

Older Royal Escort - come children... my, my, you are being so brave.

As he enters the final room, he is presented by another bed chamber, candle lit clean room with a smell of lilacs and cinnamon; table filled with fruits and a small tub surrounded by mirrors. At the center of the room stands a bed and a child chained to one of its legs. Lomu recognizes the child as one of the girls from the bandit camp. No older than 12 years of age.

Before he can say anything or move, someone holding a candle approaches.

Nene- Gods! What is this place?

Lomu- Nene what are you doing here?

Nene- I hid when the bandits attacked, I came out of hiding and saw Amir from a balcony a few moments ago and ran towards his chambers wanting to speak about what’s going on tonight.

Lomu- Yes, I would like to speak to him too.... about this!

Nene- I don’t understand, is this the monk’s doing? Is this why they are searching for father Cardus?

Lomu- No Nene, this is all Amir.

Nene- Amir (whispers shocked)

Lomu slowly turns and fixes his eyes on Nene.

Lomu- Yes, it is Amir’s, but how was it- “So long as Nene tells you how”.

Nene- what do you mean?

Lomu- He can maybe piss and fight on his own, for everything else he has his doting Nene.

It might have been the candlelight, but Lomu was certain that Nene’s face turned from concerned to callous, from callous to sinister.

Nene- You have grown wiser in the years, haven’t you?

Lomu- How could you do this!

Nene- Let Nene show you how (laughs).

Nene blows out the candle she was holding and yeets the wax pooled around it into Lomu’s face.

Before Lomu can grab her, Nene dashes back and throws her scapular at the nearby candle holders causing them to topple over and extinguish. The room is plunged into darkness save for the bed where child is linked to the bed, Lomu has just enough time to counter Nene’s feral assault and move back and jump on the bed. Lomu is bewildered by what he sees, or more importantly can’t see. From a kind gentle nursemaid that kept him and his friends out of trouble and shielded from all the anger her aunt would spew nothing remained, before him was a cackling banshee running around in pitch black and at speeds, he hadn’t thought obese people were capable of, not to mention throwing daggers with incredible precision. He tries to evade the dagger from the shadows, but he sees nothing, no hint of her in her dark robes while she sees him clearly. Fortunately, the armor that betrays his position is also able to brush off the small daggers, but his arms and head are not as well protected. Nene dashes from corner to corner like a bat, nicking the prince and covering the bed with his blood. After four or five such slashes Lomu begins to feel dizzy and falls to one knee, leveling himself to where the child is, and another slash of the dagger races against his armored back, but this time he sees something strange, child has been shifting from side to side during Nene’s dashes to avoid getting in the way; first the child would scout where Nene was going, then grab the chain and pull one way or another, to prove his theory Lomu allowed a couple more slashes to reach him. Having noted the pattern, he squinted and instead of looking out into the shadows stood his ground and looked at the girl. Finally, the girl grabbed the chain and no sooner she flinched than Lomu dashed to the opposite direction with blade at the ready meeting Nene as she was entering the light. Nene was shocked and barely evaded tip of lomu’s blade which gave Lomu enough time to slap the dagger away from her hand, throw her over his shoulder onto the bed and deliver a slash that impaled her to the bed, killing Nene immediately. Lomu backed away from the corpse and broke the chain that held the little girl. He yanked the armband off Nene’s corpse. It had half a dozen daggers still in it, a few strewn on the ground he picked up and repacked them, He picked up Nene’s scapular and whipped himself off sweat and blood, after which he picked up the little girl and rushed out of the room, never looking back at her.

Act 2.2

As he entered the chamber Lomu saw his younger escort had been stabbed in the back by Nene's daggers. With little time to process all that was going on Lomu unshackled the children and had them escorted out of the dungeon and into the hallway just as Amir with his guards entered the bedroom narrowly avoiding meeting each other.

As they were making their way out, Lomu noticed pools of blood and hastily hidden bodies nearby, the last of his retinue had cleared the path he was now following. No sooner they had reached the egress that Amir charged out of his bedroom bellowing and blubbering at the same time.

Amir- Spread out! look for them! search every room! FIND THEM!

Amir starts tearing the courtyard apart.

Amir-Lomu! Lomu! I know you can hear me! How could you do it, she did nothing but care for us! Did you not hesitate at all! How could you do that! She did NOTHING but cared for us all!

Lomu reached one of the previously sealed doors where his last royal escort waved him over.

Old Royal Escort - my lord through the kitchen here, we can go straight to the outside...(the knight looked for his partner) where is…

Lomu- He died protecting me. Take them and lead them to safety, I have unfinished business here.

Old Royal Escort – I must …

Lomu- Jarus! Go downhill you will find the old monk hiding by the dog pens, he has couple of horses, do not wait for me go straight to Laz and inform Reza of what happened here.

Jarus - what else remains here?

Lomu- a rabid dog…

As Jarus seals the door behind him, Lomu turned back and starts moving through the monastery cutting down each northerner he came across, one by one they fall to his blade or his newly acquired set of daggers, courtesy of Nene. Room after room he passes like plague until he reaches the steps to the balcony where only a day ago, he and his childhood friend were reminiscing about the old days.

Sun was already setting when Amir was barking orders at his men from the balcony as Lomu approached with all the stealth he could muster, he did not hear what Amir was barking nor did Amir hear Lomus approach over his bellowing. Lomu was flooded by all the childhood memories of his friend but, those memories were no match for the horrors he witnessed tonight, Lomu was but a step away from Amir’s head ready to deliver a blow, when Amir’s armored hand swung around and clasped his hand, followed by his second which delivered a powerful blow throwing Lomu to the floor.

Amir- I could smell Nene's scent the moment you stepped outside brother, for a moment I thought she came back to me.

Lomu brushed away the smashed chairs and rolled to his feet.

Lomu- It seems she keeps taking care of you even now.

Amir- You will pay...

Lomu- I will pay? Amir what did you do?

Amir- What did I do? Look around you, your kingdom is a festering bog, it is dying, your brother’s endless maneuvering has brought wolves to your door, and they have sunk their teeth in.

Lomu- what did you do?

Amir- I sided with power, I will be given fiefdoms and authority instead of rotting in some dungeon or up on that frozen hellscape your father exiled me for years.

Lomu- I am not asking you about that! I am asking you about the children!

Amir- That?!I protect them, I care for them.

Lomu- You are sick!

Amir- They need me!

Lomu- That's how they got you.

Amir- I keep them safe.

Lomu- You are sick!

Amir- You know nothing! Pampered princeling, what do you know of struggles and hunger those children face?

Lomu- I wanted to talk to you after I escaped, to hear you and reason with you, but there is no reasoning with what I saw.

Amir- Yes, reason means to an end that’s what she said. We had great plans (held a parchment in his hand and then tucked it to his armor), Nene would have made this place into a paradise, but nothing works without her, so I guess I’ll have to improvise, starting by ripping your head off for killing HER!AAAAAAAA

If in previously encounter Amir was nigh invincible, now he had an opening; having broken Amirs visor in the previous fight Lomu could now target his face with Nene's daggers. The unhinged Amir flailed and overextended with his halberd every time Lomu threw a dagger at his face, which kept him at bay, but he was dangerous his, reach greater than Lomu’s as well as his elephantine strength and stamina meant that a single misstep could be Lomu’s last. Peppering Amir with daggers caused Amir to shield himself with one hand and rush blindly, causing them to fall off the small balcony to the lower section of the monastery which gave way, and they ended up in the atrium. They both recover but Amir, removed most of his plating gained much needed speed as he started Charging at Lomu, while Amir was removing plating Lomu gathered what daggers had followed them to the new arena and as Amir rushed, he threw a dagger causing Amir to shield his face, Lomu used his opponents momentary lack of vision to sidestep him and slash at his feet causing Amir to fall into the courtyard fountain. Lomu approached dazed Amir grabbed his halberd and using it jammed his head underwater. This time Amirs reach had no effect as he couldn’t grab Lomu or find purchase within the slippery fountain to get up, with his legs slashed he couldn’t put weight on them to readjust. For the first time in a long time, he felt as helpless as a child. Moments later the hands stopped darting around and silence fell upon the atrium. Lomu removed the polearm from the water to see the monstrous creature he just bested plop out and drop onto the ground. A power-hungry brute, a child molester and cold-blooded maniac wrapped in the visage of his once childhood friend and brother in arms.

As the sound of soldiers approaching broke Lomu out of his daze he went up to where Amir removed his armor and retrieved the parchment and made his escape from the monastery.

Act 2.3

As Lomu exited the Monastery, he began making his way to the stables, all the way avoiding Amirs men who were rushing towards the monastery. He took out the soldiers guarding the stables and quietly led his horse out of the stables to the village entrance, as he reaches the village entrance Amirs men sounded the alarm.

Sentry- Down there by the gates! Kill him!!!

Lomu mounted his horse and galloped down the muddy streets of the village to its exit, no sooner had he passed the palisade than he saw mounted inquisitors ride toward the village. Lomu grabbed one of Nene’s daggers and hurled it down toward the high inquisitor, the projectile bounced off his chest-plate and before it could fall to the ground, the high inquisitor caught it and hurled it back, managing to scrape horse’s face. The horse reared and Lomu quickly veered it to the side darting towards the forest, High inquisitor motioned to one of his inquisitors to step up. A relatively slender figure clasped in similar armor moves ahead on her stead.

LHI- Bring him to me ALIVE!

Lomu dashed away toward the port city of Laz, followed by both northerners and inquisitors alike. The pursuers kept trying to hit the horse with arrows or approach Lomu to grab him off the horse, uphill, downhill through the forest. While inquisitors only goal was capture, Amir’s vengeful soldiers were coming up on him with clear intent to kill. Lomu kept evading and fending off enemies until finally he cleared the forest and, thinking he would have more space to maneuver he failed to see the approaching inquisitor who lassoed him and yanked him from his horse. Lomu fell headfirst and lost consciousness.

Under the Olive tree Lomu is lying down staring into the sky, blond hair sticking out of the pond.

Vera- where are you going now?

Lomu- to the north most likely.

Vera- more pirates?

Lomu- children keep vanishing and towns are being sacked.

Vera- Tarls?

Lomu- No, it started just before the war. My friend Amir has his training camp, he might know.

Vera- Amir De Lester, Is he a good friend?

Lomu- Best, never lets me down always kept Vance in check.

Amir leaps out of the pond lunging at Lomu

Distorted voice- DIE!!!

Darkness fades and Lomu wakes to one of Amirs men standing above him with sword high above him, but an arrow pierces through his neck.

Lomu looks up to see nearby approaching inquisitor had fired the arrow, but before the inquisitor can dismount, another arrow flies from the opposite direction hitting her in the helmet and another soon after hitting her mare, the horse jerks causing the inquisitor to ignominiously plop to the ground unconscious. Lomu’s escort Jarus and the monk Cardus appear in the distance peppering the pursuers with volley after volley. Lomu gets up and sees his pursuers running away.

Jarus- My lord! Are you safe.

Lomu- Thanks to your timely arrival.

Jarus- you caught up to us. We were hiding when the cart from our caravan passed us and shortly after...

Cardus- your race with those pursuers sounded like that brute had caught up to us, so we hid the children and turned to fight.

Lomu- I am glad your aim was true.

Jarus- That was me, he hit only a tree.

Cardus- Trees, hit or miss the numbers made them flee.

Jarus- Come my Lord more will be coming.

Lomu- How much further?

Jarus- almost a day by foot, kids are slowing us down.

Lomu- I cannot wait, I'll go ahead you follow up when you can.

Jarus- yes, my lord. Like I said, we saw the cart and it was headed back to Laz.

Lomu mounts and continues his ride to the port city.

As everyone leaves, the fallen inquisitor lets out a groan.

End of Chapter 2.