Della Rovere sat in the corner of the bar and had already resisted the overtures of prostitutes and conmen. He was through half a bottle of wine when he began to reconsider the wisdom of being there. A large robed man with a scraggly grey beard sat next to him close enough to just barely touch shoulders.
“Having girl trouble, traveler?”
“Nothing of the sort.” Della Rovere replied frustrated that his thoughts were interrupted.
“That’s not what I heard father.”
Della Rovere scowled, “I don’t care if you’re one of the Pope’s watchdogs, piss off.”
The man sat and summoned the bartender, “I’ll have what he’s having.” He said softly and gingerly.
“I’m not interested in talking.” Della Rovere said miserable and defeated.
The tavern keep returned and began to pour the man a glass when the stranger shooed him away. “I’m a wicked man. I’ll just take the bottle.” The hooded stranger stopped, “Watch my drink for me would you kindly? I just remembered I have to shit.”
Della Rovere sighed and nodded as the man stood and left.
***
Jerome Vol left Della Rovere and focused his eyes on a tavern maid with long wavy brown hair and unnaturally pale skin. He snapped his fingers and his hellhound leapt from the shadows and devoured a white raven in the alley. The maid paused before turning around to duck out of a side door and Vol quickly pursued. The moment they both cleared the view of the patrons Vol snatched Katharsis’s arm with all of his might and slammed her into the wall of the alley outside.
“We meet again my precious student.” Vol chided.
Katharsis smiled but the fear in her eyes betrayed her. She clearly wasn’t expecting Vol to be here. “It’s been a long time master and it seems you’ve caught me. Perhaps I should scream? I could have the holy father defend my honor from a dirty old man accosting me in an alley.”
“A dirty old man? Kat, you wound me gravely. I loved you as a daughter and successor.” Vol paused before confessing, “Once.”
“Let me go right now or I’ll call the Cardinal and tear this village to shreds.”
Vol’s demeanor changed, with darkened eyes he pressed nose to nose to her, “I don’t think so. Whatever you’re here for calling for help would jeopardize it or you’d have done so by now.” To prove his point Vol squeezed her elbow with his vice-like grip.
Katharsis gritted her teeth in pain, “And I don’t think you’ll kill me either. You don’t have your weapon with you. Or I’d be dust in the alley by now.”
“I wouldn’t need the Blade of Excommunication to kill you Kat. I could do it with my bare hands right now.” Vol insisted and he grasped her throat and began to choke her.
“What-” she gasped, “What do you want then?!” She kicked and struggled but refused to make noise and draw attention. She’d survived far worse over the years. As uncomfortable as it was to be strangled she estimated she could survive for quite awhile. Her thought’s raced, Even if he tears the head from my shoulders I should be able to survive. In theory. A theory that right now I don’t want to test…
“I want you out of this city. Right now.” Vol released her throat but still held her arm.
“As-” she coughed violently, “As you wish Master...”
“Nice to see you can still show respect.”
Katharsis spat in defiance, “Until I kill you and take your place someday.”
Vol frowned, he looked her in the eye and without blinking squeezed her arm with enough strength to crush and dislocated her elbow.
Every neuron in her arm lit up as if it were on fire, her every instinct was to scream as she felt the rapid pops and snaps of her shattered arm. Outwardly though she just flinched and sneered, “It’s been nice… Master. Until we meet again.” Vol released her and her hand dangled limply at her side, with her other hand she waved and a pearl white coffin rose from the ground, Katharsis stepped inside and the lid slammed shut and sank once more.
Satisfied Vol turned back to the tavern. “Now… About that drink.”
***
Della Rovere was half a bottle deeper by the time his new friend returned.
“Thanks for holding my seat,” the old man said as he poured himself a drink.
“Were you in the alley?”
Vol stopped pouring, “Why do you ask?”
“Looks like a vagrant spit on you.”
“Indeed, some people have no limits, wouldn’t you agree.”
They each took a drink and together each thought unknowingly in unicent, like Katharsis.
“Anyways father I think it’s time to drop the act.”
Della Rovere turned and looked at the man and he pulled back his traveler’s hood. Della Rovere froze in terror.
“Relax Cardinal, if I wanted to kill you I have numerous ways to do so without you even realizing you’re dying. But I promise not to kill you if you promise not to ruin the atmosphere and make a scene.”
“Fair enough,” Della Rovere replied and with a trembling hand raised his glass and continued drinking. “Tell me why this conversation is so important the great Jerome Vol himself would dare leave Todt Stadt to speak with me?”
Vol took a deep long swig and set the bottle down upon the bar, “It’s well guarded enough without me.”
Della Rovere raised an eyebrow, “Speaking for the church we doubt that.”
“I’m not Master Vol right now any more than you are Cardinal Della Rovere. We’re just two men crossing paths.”
“What do you want?” Vol raised his drink with a trembling hand. Della Rovere knew better than to think it was out of fear. But what is it? Anticipation? He thought to himself.
Looking back Vol spoke again “I want to know how you did it?”
“What?”
“How you solved the Death Paradox.”
Della Rovere shook his head dismissively, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your son came to me after your botched raid on his mother’s home. Thank you by the way. Future generations of necromancers will thank you for your tragic incompetence.”
“What of it? Unless you’re here to give him back to me I don’t see much to discuss.”
“I read him, believing he was a trap from Katharsis but imagine my surprise to learn he’s your thrall.”
Della Rovere’s face darkened and his voice had an edge of cold steel, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Vol rarely felt threatened but Della Rovere’s intensity did surprise him. Never backing down from a challenge however he pressed, “Imagine my surprise to learn the Cardinal of the Interior practiced necromancy...” Della Rovere choked on his drink.
“Easy now... Easy now.” Vol said as Della Rovere sputtered and gasped.
Finally recovering, Della Rovere looked straight into Vol’s eyes defiantly, completely ignoring the difference in rank and power, “You know nothing.”
Vol smiled wistfully, “Indeed, that’s why I had to ask. How could a man of the cloth fulfill what we have failed to accomplish? What was it that you sacrificed? How did you solve the paradox?”
Della Rovere eyed the bubbles in his drink, “It cost me my soul I suppose.”
“Did it now?”
“I had to choose between my faith, my rank, my entire life and that of my son. However, I now have to live with that decision knowing that I’ll never really be a father to him. Knowing that I’m powerless to protect him or guide him, imprisoned in this hell of faith and loyalty dancing on God’s strings.”
“Ribold proved to me that there was a single moment when that was not true. That moment was when you did the impossible. Why hiding that boy should’ve been a pointless endeavor, you could’ve recalled him at any time.”
“If I controlled him in any way it’d stain the miracle that I accomplished. God gave us freewill. I chose to do the same.”
“God?” Vil huffed sardonically, “A faithful man thinks he can match God in virtue? Ha! Maybe… Perhaps Della Rovere you are a more wretched man than me!”
“Leave me be Vol.”
“Tell me this much, how much does Katharsis know?”
“She knows nothing. I never wanted her to know that I endangered our son, or that he’s already dead.”
“You know Della Rovere, I think that your terrible secret may be the key to stopping Katharsis. After all it's harder to read those you are attached to through emotions and blood. You, the father, being of blood and emotional relation means Ribold’s master is a blindspot for her. You didn’t just save him from death, you saved him from her. Tell me Vol, how did he die?”
“Katharsis left him in my care. I had to leave him for Mass. When I returned he’d stopped breathing and was already cold. I forsook all that I knew. I quickly took a necromancer book from our archives and revived him. I poured everything I had into his resurrection, and he revived perfectly. He took milk, he still filled his diaper, his body was warm,”
“And he clearly grew,” Vol added. “One of the core tenants of a thrall is that they cannot age. Yet infant Ribold is now Big Ribold.”
“I severed our connection. I can’t control him directly if I wanted to.”
Vol smiled, “Though with great effort couldn’t you track him, contact him, or implant a suggestion?”
“I have no intention of trying. To him I’m an enemy. A man. To me he’s my little boy. If I can’t get through to him as his father then I shall die in the attempt.”
“So dramatic, so romantic, so corrupted and full of honor. I finally see why Katharsis chose you.”
“I never said I keep in contact with her.”
“You didn’t have to. I know her better than she thinks.”
“Well you did train her.”
“I trained everyone including Ruprecht. But of all the Unholy 7 I’ve selected and trained over the years she was my best student. Absorbing information like a sponge but behind those fierce violet eyes is a violent ambition. Knowing her, she tried to make Ruprecht an ally. And knowing him, he refused.”
“You should keep your house in order.”
“You’re one to talk. But I think the church is better suited to the task,” Vol said as he slid over a map marking the entrance to Ruprecht's lair.
Della Rovere took a second to commit the area on the map to memory before turning back to Vol in disbelief, “You’re betraying your own?”
“The church needs a win, and I need to sleep soundly knowing one of mine isn’t causing entire villages and bloodlines to go extinct.”
Della Rovere considered the possibility of this being a trap, but if Vol wanted to kill him he made the point to demonstrate that he could right here and now. Della Rovere sighed in defeat,“Fair enough.”
“Goodnight Della Rovere.”
“Goodnight my son...” Della Rovere said drunkenly to Vol or perhaps Ribold. It was late and Della Rovere no longer cared.
Vol smiled sadistically and laughed softly as he left the tavern.
***
As Vol left the tavern Sofia trembled. She had heard everything. The Cardinal of the Interior is the lover of Katharsis Merron. The father of Ribold the Curious. A necromancer. And he was the de facto most likely to succeed Pope Pious the XXIII. The foundation of the Western Church itself was rotten and corrupted. The most unimpeachable was their greatest traitor. And Sofia was powerless to stop him.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched for the tavern maid who’d been serving her. Vol did not know her but Della Rovere did. She’d followed him here in civilian clothes to protect him in case he drank too much. She’d never imagined that he’d be a collaborator with Jerome Vol himself. Della Rovere seemed to tire and stood up to pay. Panicked, she turned away and Della Rovere clumsily walked by oblivious to her. Finally just as Della Rovere left the tavern maid returned with her arm in a sling.
“Sorry I had to step out for a moment. My arm is giving me trouble again.” Katharsis said.
Sofia sat in shock still trying to process what she’d heard. Katharsis in disguise waved her hand to get Sofia’s attention.
“Huh?”
“You didn’t pay your bill sweetie.” She said, still smiling.
“I’m sorry but please charge the large man that just left. I’m sure he’ll pay my tab.”
“Oh I didn’t realize you were together. In that case the debt is settled. Have a lovely night!” the tavern wench said as she curtsied and stepped aside.
Katharsis Merron watched Sofia leave with the same keen interest as that of a snake watching an unaware mouse scurry by. She heard something… But what? She wondered. I’ll have to keep track of that one.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
***
From the earth an unholy stench of death and worse wafted outward like poison.
“Is this the place?” Ribold asked.
“It smells like it,” Alfso said as he wretched.
“The locals are superstitious of this mountain; isolated with terrible smells and tales of horrific deaths… There’s no mistaking it. We’ve found him.”
“What should we do? Should we have Alfso call Bahamut and bury him?” Chakken asked nonchalantly.
“Hey I’m not your siege machine!” Alfso protested, “Calling upon the Bahamut takes a lot out of me and draws a lot of attention.”
Frau Lange nodded in agreement, “Also it’s ill suited to killing Ruprecht. Bahamut leveling the mountain would be nothing but a minor inconvenience. We need to find and kill Ruprecht personally.”
“How do we stop him? He’s a plague user. Us even going in there is dangerous.”
“We have to kill him and then ideally his plagues will die with him.”
“If not?”
“The Unholy 7 become the Unholy 3,” she replied.
Frau Lange admitted to herself that this would be a bad matchup. A battle against an ancient necromancer skilled in summoning creatures impossibly small was nearly suicide. She continued, “Killing Ruprecht himself is my job. You boys just keep his thralls off of me.” Ribold stretched his arms and a series of raven caws echoed from within his robe. Chakken slapped his torso rattling the chains he bound tightly around his muscular body. Alfso smiled sweetly. Baby Isidor sat on her shoulder like a diapered parrot and Oskar clung to her leg meekly. Together the children donned themselves head to toe in little tattered sheets. Frau Lange couldn’t risk them being infected again. For herself, Frau Lange adjusted leather gloves with metallic spiked knuckles. She sighed grimly, “This will have to do, let’s go.”
***
On the other side of the mountain Ruprecht emerged into the sunlight, his flesh already in a state of constant pain and itchiness intensified in the glow of the morning sun. At the cavern entrance he prepared an old wagon with a wretched skeletal horse covered in flies. As he adjusted the bellyband Ruprecht was smashed along with his horse into the ground. A splash of rotten gore spilled out from Della Rovere’s yoyo.
“Mary would you kindly...”
“Yes father.”
Della Rovere drew back and shrank the yoyo but couldn’t discount the possibility that even at 35,000 RPMs that Ruprecht could have contaminated the weapon. Mary drew her misericorde and ignited it. Della Rovere dangled the yoyo over her flames and began spinning it slowly to ensure her fire burned every last crack.
“So you came after all, Cardinal.”
Della Rovere turned and Ruprecht was shaking as his body quickly repaired itself from the smear it was seconds ago. Ruprecht swayed violently and his limbs grew back like tree branches. His recovering body was still obviously riddled disease.
Della Rovere nodded to Mary and she doused her flames while he swung his red hot yoyo like a pendulum in the cat’s cradle. “So you really can’t be killed by conventional means can you, Ruprecht?”
“I haven’t lived for centuries to die like a common traveler with a knife in my back!” he rasped as Mary looked on in horror. Underneath his hood was a face pockmarked with lesions and holes. A mixture of hideous acne and parasites nesting inside. His teeth were black and broken and as he spoke droplets of yellow pus leaked from the corner of his mouth.
“I can assure you Ruprecht very few people die of a yoyo. You’d have been fortunate if you did, it’s rather painless. Now I get to really hurt you.”
Ruprecht stood motionlessly for a moment before turning and fleeting into the cave. Della Rovere swung the yoyo but Ruprecht was far faster than he’d seemed. Della Rovere was forced to draw back his yoyo before he ended up pulverizing the exit, sealing his group outside.
Filled with fear and revulsion Mary ignited her Misericorde, “I’ll clear your path father.”
“I’d appreciate that Mary.”
Sofia meanwhile stayed further back, she hadn’t slept at all. In her eyes Della Rovere was more revolting than Ruprecht himself. Bad enough to forsake his vows for love. It was worthy of scorn but was nothing compared to forsaking vows, conceiving a bastard with the anti-christ, and continuing to carry on portraying himself as the epitome of righteousness. A twisted genocidal disease ridden old man seemed in some respects less disgusting in comparison.
“I hear something,” Mary said as they adjusted masks cut from altar cloth over their noses and mouths and moved slowly towards the entrance.
Inside the cave was a howling, like a wind or the exhalation of a giant. Mary took the lead Misericorde lit and peered through the darkness. The cave was moving. Mary grasped the fiery blade with one hand and wiped the flames off. They coalesced into multiple globules of fiery energy and sailed down the cavern and revealed it was wall to wall with diseased thralls. Mary gestured downwards and the flaming globules flew into the charging horde and exploded, blasting a few dozen out of the thousands charging them.
“Get ready!” Mary shouted.
Della Rovere frowned, his wide sweeping yoyo attacks were unbeatable on open field but he was at a severe disadvantage in tight quarters underground. He spun the yoyo and launched fast forward strikes and snapped the weapon back. Mary dove underneath it and swung her misericorde surging with flame like a flamethrower cutting down thralls that came to close and igniting those farther away. Sofia stood back, she excelled in dueling but wasn’t fit for fighting a horde. Officially her role now was to cover Della Rovere and Mary if anything got through but the only thought in her mind was to turn Della Rovere’s head into paste with her mortar and pestle. She’d already positioned the mortar between Mary and Della Rovere. With the right angle of attack she could kill Della Rovere. Sofia’s mind raced as she tried to imagine how to sell the murder of a cardinal. Her only chance would be mid combat. If she killed him too early or obviously Mary would never forgive her. Then there was the small matter of Ruprecht trying to kill them all. For now she decided to back them up and hoped that Ruprecht and Della Rovere would kill each other. But if that didn’t happen Sofia resolved herself to committing the unthinkable for the good of the church and Christendom everywhere.
***
“Something’s wrong,” Chakken said suspiciously.
“Don’t say that!” Alfso said all but green with the hideous smell inside the cave. “I can barely breath in this thing as it is and all I can smell is death and shit!”
“Chakken’s right. We should’ve seen them by now.” Frau Lange said, voice muffled the makeshift masks they all wore. “The location is perfect. He has to be here! Even if he left he’d have an entire horde to defend his home!”
“You sure about that?” Ribold asked.
“Yes, he was nobility in another life before he became a necromancer. To him, this pit of horror is his manor; he’d never leave it unattended.”
The necromancers rounded the corner to find a massive dark amphitheatre. On the floor was unspeakable filth and a mound of corpses with a wicker throne at the zenith.
“Here.” Frau Lange said in anticipation. “He should be here...” Her voice was tinged with panic, like a desperate explorer learning that his oasis was a mirage.
“Get down!” Alfso said as they saw a figure race across the amphitheatre and leap up into the throne.
“Is that him?” Ribold asked.
Frau Lange’s jaw was clenched, a wave of hatred spread across her features, “He’s mine.”
Before the boys could react, Frau Lange stepped forward with explosive force launching herself towards the throne. Her children were covered in decrepit sheets like little ghosts and attacked Ruprect from two sides. He lifted his head in realization as the two boys cross-countered his throne and tore him in half, the wicker throne exploding from the impact.
Ruprecht’s torso landed with a sickening wet smack at the foot of his corpse mound. Frau Lange stood over him and the boys behind him prepared to attack him again. Ruprecht, with his rotten severed entrails spread out behind him, looked at her with his jaundiced eyes and he spoke raggedly but without a trace of fear, “To what do I owe the pleasure my lady?”
Frau Lange screamed and her boys came down crushing his skull with explosive force cracking the stone floor. Behind the mound of corpses Ruprecht rose from his previously severed lower half now fully regenerated and he smiled his hideous cadaverous smile. “To what do I make the acquaintance?”
Frau Lange in seconds was atop the mound of corpses punching his face into mush. His head caved inward like a rotten fruit. Behind her again Ruprecht spoke, standing with his skull popping back into place and with an audible bony click, “Are you here for revenge? That is my specialty, my lady.” From his still recovering belly his entrails shot out and grasped the two cloaked children and Frau Lange paused in fear. The two children overpowered Ruprecht's entrails and escaped his grasp but at the cost of the sheets they wore to prevent infection.
“Oh it’s you...” Ruprecht said as he laid eyes on the two children in recognition. “All that rage when they died painlessly without lasting consequences? You really are a selfish woman.” Frau Lange launched herself forward and Ruprecht caught her wrist mid punch, “No more games,” he rasped. From behind him Alfso’s Velopony bit down over his head and tore his head off. As Ruprecht’s body fell once more Frau Lange tore away from his limp grasp.
“Thank you Alfso, but don’t get involved with my affairs!” Frau Lange said distraught.
“Oh so you’re the one with the Bahamut?” the Velopony rasped.
Alfso’s skin crawled as the Velopony’s undead skin mottled and it’s eyes were jaundiced. It spat out Ruprecht’s mangled head and continued, “Did you really think that I, Ruprecht the Plague would succumb to such clumsy tactics? My animalcules could never falter to such a pitiful display of strength and emotion!”
“Alfso...” Ribold whispered, “Unsummon the pony.”
“Right...” Alfso said in awe.
“Unsummon the pony Alfso… Right now...” Ribold said his voice rising in fear as his eyes met the Velopony’s jaundiced eyes.
“And you…” Ruprecht purred through the skull of the velociraptor as he circled, “You are the one everyone fusses about?”
“Alfso...” Ribold said his pitch heightened, as the Velopony approached.
“I’m trying. I don’t know how but it’s like he stole it!”
“You remind me of him. Of them for that matter. You’d be wise to leave us. Leave this cave, this profession, and this life. There’s nothing but death waiting for you.”
“I can’t.”
The Velopony bared its rotten teeth “Oh? And why is that?? Why are you here?”
“To stop you.”
“Oh? I am the most powerful of the Unholy 7, even Vol himself hasn’t dared visit these chambers. You witnessed the futility of Frau Lange’s attacks, the futility of that boy’s summons. I cannot be defeated by you!”
***
Mary ran down a tunnel of swirling ashes, how many have we killed? How many can fit into this mountain? How much farther? Behind her was Della Rovere with a flaming sword and Sofia with her mortar and pestle. Deeper into the cave a massive leper was hacking away with a pickaxe.
Della Rovere recognized the tactic from his youth, “It’s trying to collapse the cavern! Stop it Mary!”
“Understood!” Mary burst forward with blinding speed and stabbed the leper in the side of its skull with her flaming misericorde. As it’s eye sockets erupted with flames it continued hammering away. Shocked and angry Mary dropped and swung for its knees. She severed both legs as it struck the wall one last time. As the leper landed in a burning heap Mary heard a deep terrifying rumble. She looked up and screamed as everything went black..
***
“Mary!” Sofia screamed as massive boulders sealed the passage.
“The way is sealed.” Della Rovere quietly thought aloud. “If I use my yoyo I’d likely exacerbate the issue. Even I can’t destroy the entire mountain so easily. We have to double back and find another path.”
“That is one option,” Katharsis Merron said from behind.
Sofia spun on her heel ready for a fight, “Who are you?”
The tavern wench stepped out from the shadows. “Oh me?” she said playfully at first like a simple peasant, “I’m your worst nightmare,” she added menacingly tearing off the black wig and revealing her unnatural white hair.
“Ka...tharsis… Merron...” Sofia muttered in disbelief.
Della Rovere wanted to call out and ask her why she was here but he had to maintain his lifelong facade.
Katharsis addressed Della Rovere directly, “Relax my love, you were careless. She listened to your entire talk with Vol. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to listen in...”
Della Rovere puffed his chest indignantly, “That’s a lie witch!” Inside his fragile emotions were in a state of freefall like a bridge over troubled waters struck by a meteor.
“The only thing more pathetic than a liar caught in a lie is you trying it… Dear. Oh my...” Katharsis said playfully circling Sofia, “You’re not surprised? How much did my idiot lover say in that tavern?” Katharsis said, stepping alongside Della Rovere and threw her arm around him playfully. Della Rovere cringed in shame but did not physically resist her.
“I… I...” Sofia thought about it but knew the moment Katharsis Merron appeared that she was a dead woman. Still it seemed there were secrets that even Katharsis didn’t know. “I learned Cardinal Della Rovere was conspiring with Jerome Vol.” Turning to Della Rovere, “I never imagined the depths of your depravity.”
Katharsis smiled proudly and cast an admiring glance at her former lover, “Ah! Did you hear that? Dear?”
“Stop calling me that goddamn you!” Della Rovere shrieked as he looked away from Katharsis towards Sofia. Seeing the look on Sofia’s face was just as bad so he stared at a corpse.
“Your depravity?” Katharsis purred. “Oh? I’ll tell you what’s depraved my poor little street urchin. What’s depraved is taking girls and marrying them to a figment of their imagination. What’s depraved is denying your desires, your purpose. All to be some vestal virgin martyr. What’s depraved my dear, is the church and its unrealistic expectations, its incoherent message, its hypocrisy, its wealth, its institution of using naive little girls as cannon fodder and brides to figments of their poor limited imaginations.”
“I am not of the church of the west.” Sofia said defiantly not in defense but in pride. “I am an Orthodox Nun, and if you think your poisonous words could ever sway me than you are as stupid as you are wicked.”
“Oh my...” Katharsis said sarcastically pretending to be hurt, “The Orthodox woman insulted my intelligence...”
“Go ahead Katharsis Merron. Kill me. I’ll at least die on my feet.”
“You sound rather prideful for a nun, Sofia Bolotova. But I suppose that time you actually hurt me. Do you think that I’d actually kill you?” She laughed, “No! Of course not! Because what’s the worst you could ever do to me?”
“I could reveal your plot Katharsis. I could reveal that you’re trying to seize the papacy with Della Rovere.”
“My dear I don’t care.” Katharsis said emphatically. “You can’t threaten me. You’re threatening him.”
Della Rovere turned to her still dumbstruck and in shock that his heinous secret had been exposed, “Kat?! What the devil nonsense are you talking about?”
Katharsis eyed Sofia like a piece of meat to be devoured, “That’s the thing. In order to succeed you must be willing to risk failure. I’m not here to test Sofia Bolotova…” She turned and looked Della Rovere eye to eye, “I’m here to test you.”
“What?” Sofia asked in shock.
“I’m telling you to flee, Sofia Bolotova. You’re not my objective, he is.”
“This time you’ve gone too far Kat!” Della Rovere said, infuriated.
“Oh it's rather simple dear. Right here, right now; I’m asking you to show me where your loyalties lie. Will you allow Sofia Bolotova to escape? Or will you kill her yourself?”
Della Rovere’s world came crashing down upon him again.
Katharsis looked to the cavern ceiling lost in thought, “That other little wench… Mary Ward was it?” Katharsis locked eyes with Sofia with ferocity, “That vicious little cunt that tried to kill my son. She’s fond of Ms. Bolotova, is she not?” Again Katharsis addressed Della Rovere matter of factly, “That’s why you are going to kill Ms. Bolotova. You’ll kill Mary’s mentor. And you may pointlessly wallow in guilt until the end of time but at least everyone will finally have some clarity on where you stand.”
“Damn you Kat! I could’ve handled this!” Della Rovere said shaking nervously, “Sofia? Please take a vow of silence and I can save you! You don’t have to die!”
Katharsis slapped him on the back of his head and his red hat fell on the filthy tainted cavern floor, “Pathetic! You know she won’t will you Sofie? You’re just too honest a woman to compromise that much!”
“But… But I can discredit her! Who will believe an Orthodox nun on a journey versus the Cardinal of the Interior? I’ve known for years the depth of the church’s corruption and I know full well how to silence a victim without the need of blood spilt.”
“Even at the potential cost of being excommunicated dear? Even if it means you fail to become pope and Ribold is still excommunicated? You know no matter what you do there’ll be seeds of doubt. As time goes on they’ll sprout into weeds that will strangle your ambition- No, your need to absolve Ribold of his excommunication.”
“I...” Della Rovere stammered.
“Choose.” Katharsis commanded.
“I… I... ”
Katharsis turned back from Della Rovere, “By the way Sofie? This is your chance to run. Do put on a good show?” Katharsis said like a friendly host offering respite before turning back to Della Rovere, “Now choose!”
Della Rovere took one step forward and drew his yoyo.
“You bastards,” Sofie cried. “Both of you! God will never forgive you! I will never forgive you!” she shouted furiously and tossed her mortar at Della Rovere.
Katharsis smiled, “Bad move girl. Had you tried running you could’ve lived for a few more minutes. Had you been a faithful girl you could’ve accepted your death joyfully. But instead-”
Della Rovere tossed his yoyo over Sofia’s head against the cavern ceiling. The ceiling crashed down and crushed her as she launched the pestle at Della Rovere’s head.
Katharsis reached out and snatched it mid flight as Sofia’s blood splashed out from under the massive boulders. “Instead, it seems you decided in your last moments to live as I do. Screaming at destiny until it devoured you. Neither faithful nor cowardly. Perhaps you were more like me than I imagined Sofia Bolotova.”
Della Rovere wretched at the sight of his victim’s blood.
“Come now dear, you did well.” Katharsis said as she hugged him from behind with a self satisfied look.
Della Rovere no longer felt comfort from Katharsis’s touch. Instead he felt he was being embraced by the serpent of temptation itself.
“Get away from me!” he shouted desperately, yanking his body from her grasp.
“Oh please! We both know now that you could never escape me. You made your choice dear and I for one am so pleased. It’s nice to know after everything you still have a soft spot for me.” Katharsis said, winking.