Ribold held the skeleton of a fish in his hands while Draihan loudly sucked his fingers. “You ready boy? It’s time.” Together they walked in the darkness with only the waxing crescent to guide them. They found the stream exiting the Tomb of Fafnir and Ribold signaled the fishbones with his hands. The skeleton flopped out of his hands into the stream with an ignominious plop! Draihan raised an eyebrow and Ribold concentrated for a moment. “It’s okay, I still feel it.”
“Now draw out its flesh and bring it forth.”
In the dark flowing water a wriggling fish appeared at the surface, it’s scales illuminated in the moonlight.
“Now center yourself in the posture I taught you. Imagine the flowing water, imagine looking left and right at the same time. You’ll feel a faint string, pull it and leap forth! That is how you will see through your thralls.”
Ribold slumped over, his body convulsing. Draihan caught him from behind and was about to rouse him when he heard a splash and the fish darted away. Ribold was still breathing, but viewing through a body that different wasn’t easy. Ribold’s body slowed a bit and Draihan made sure he didn’t swallow his own tongue.
***
In the cold waters of the stream Ribold the Fish darted about erratically, barely able to see but with a strange sense of smell despite breathing water. Instinctively Ribold tried to hold his breath but the water flowed through his undead gills just the same. He dove beneath the stone outcropping and entered the tomb. Several meters inside he found metal bars of a gate. There was a locking bar suspended up aways that he could potentially hit but there was a guard watching the gate. Ribold ducked back underneath the water and filled the thrall’s mind like a balloon with intent to stay. He immediately visualized himself back downstream and began gasping. Ribold felt as if his limbs were on fire and he gasped wildly. Draihan held him down and looked into his eyes with the intensity of a killer. “You’ve returned boy.”
“Everything hurts!”
“So it does. Life is suffering.”
“No like my arms and legs are on fire!”
“And?”
“The rest of me feels weird and woozy!”
“Your mind is trying to readjust to your brain. You’ve just completed a difficult viewing for your first time. I’d say it is a success.”
“You didn’t tell me it’d hurt this much.”
“You’ll be fine. Experience is the greatest teacher. Most necromancers wouldn’t dare to use a fish but you didn’t hesitate. Savor the feeling. A bold step forward like that deserves praise.”
“I’d like to have pilz then.”
“If you succeed than it shall be done. A baker's dozen for each of you.”
Ribold smiled and perked up, jumping to his feet shakily. “Alright. Let’s go and beat
their asses!”
“I’ll handle the enemy. You find and free Alfso. He’s deep in the antechamber.”
“Got it!”
“Be careful boy. These men will kill you. Fight when you have to. Run when you don’t.”
Ribold looked surprisingly serious, “Understood Master Aus. I promise to bring Alfso back to us.”
“Don’t promise. Just do it. If you fail I’ll personally resurrect you and lock you in a room of bone eating worms.”
At that moment Ribold found Draihan far more terrifying than a band of slavers.
***
Deep in a lonely chapel illuminated softly by candles Della Rovere knelt in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Thou art in heaven,
Forgive me my sins,
For I cannot forgive my own.
My son is but a lost lamb,
Do not let him go to the wolves.
Let me bring him back to the church,
Where he can prosper peacefully within your holy light.
For he is just a child born from sin,
As were we all.
I ask this selfishly, as your accursed black sheep.
Amen.
Della Rovere didn’t flinch when the chapel doors opened with an echoing clack. He listened carefully as someone approached him with purpose. Leather boots, spurs, the shifting of a few weapons. An armed rider. Della Rovere didn’t move a muscle, not out of fear of this stranger, but because no one who was a threat would dare approach a cardinal so boldly.
“Cardinal of the Interior? Della Rovere was it?”
Della Rovere still hadn’t moved. “What is it my child?”
“I’ve heard you are searching for a boy? Ribold was it? I’ve been sent here to tell you that soon we will have him.”
“Soon is not now my son.”
“We found one of his associates. Alfso was it? A little blonde boy?”
“You seem well informed.”
“We of the Jovial Wolves have had business with the church in the past.”
“You… procure certain… labor as I recall?”
“Yes Cardinal. Exactly as the church has requested.” the man said sardonically.
That stung. Della Rovere responded chastened but politely, “And so what do you want?”
“The reward. Ribold will soon be in our possession. We’ll trade him and even thrown in the other necromancing boy as a sign of our good faith.”
“Where?”
“The Tomb of Fafnir.”
A tremble shook the Cardinal’s body. This was important news. Not only could he see his son again, but if the necromancers were near Fafnir’s Tomb they could potentially release the horrors inside. Kat once told him about her experiences there. Fortunately for everyone she had failed to harness the true terror within the tomb. Fafnir the old salamander was a prize, but far more terrifying was the necromancer who fell in battle there. Several Cardinals united temporarily to defeat and seal Kleber the Magnificent and his terrifying summons the Magnus Bahamut. Had Katharsis known the truth privy only to the Cardinal of the Interior, she’d have returned to claim a prize that could level castles in seconds and turn the tide of wars. Necromancers sometimes made pilgrimages there but there was still the danger the seal could be broken and a new reign of terror could begin.
“So...” the bandit interjected as Della Rovere was lost in thought, “bring the reward.”
Della rovere grasped the wooden altar rail and rose abruptly to his feet and turned, his face masked by his wide brimmed crimson. “As the Cardinal of the Interior I must inquire? What sort of… labor was it that you usually procure?”
“I wasn’t expecting an inquisition and I think you know.”
Della Rovere lifted his head to reveal a serene face smiling warmly. “Indeed. I just wanted to make certain I knew what an asset to the church you were.” The man sighed in relief. As he began to turn Della Rovere continued. “As for your reward, here.” Della Rovere produced a small round object made of gold.
The man squinted at it. “That’s it? That’s worth thousands of gold?”
“Come now. Cardinalis telum est scriptor.”
The man just cocked his head confused. “Watch.” Della Rovere adjusted his finger and dropped the gold. It bounced up and down on a string.
“Is that a… yoyo?”
“Quite an astute observation however, I said Cardinalis telum est scriptor. That means approximately ‘The Cardinal’s Weapon.’”
“I don’t understand.”
“God may forgive your little group. ‘The Jovial Wolves was it?’ But I as the Cardinal of the Interior, and as a father of a small boy. I cannot.”
“I heard you types weren’t really celebate. Still, don’t you dare think that I’ll go down to something like a yoyo.”
Della Rovere manipulated the yoyo string into an open triangle that the yoyo swung through like a pendulum. “I wonder before you apprehended children did your mother’s ever rock you gently?”
“What difference does it make?”
“A parents duty is to make certain their child doesn’t go to the gallows. Don’t you agree?”
“You’re just a guy in a red dress, top of the shitpile that pays us to give you what you want. You’ve no right to judge me! To judge us!”
“Well I don’t know about that,” Della Rovere said softly. “If God died for our sins, and he is the epitome of goodness? I fear I cannot exact sufficient punishment upon you. So I’ll simply send you to God. And let His will be done.” He began to swing the yoyo in loops.
“I’m not gonna stand for thi-” the golden yoyo expanded to the size of a horse drawn carriage moving at thousands of rpms and slammed down upon him. His body was shredded into a cloud burst of blood, bone, and viscera that sprayed out across the rear of the chapel along with wooden splinters and earth as the spinning weapon shredded everything it contacted. The cardinal tugged on the string and the yoyo shrank in midair landing gently into his palm. An elderly priest shuffled out from his home to see the cardinal striding out from the damaged chapel.
“My goodness! What in blazes happened holy father?!”
Della Rovere smiled gently, “I’m terribly sorry, but important church business.” Della Rovere produced a coin and pressed it into the priest’s hand. The priest looked carefully and saw that the coin was in the Cardinal’s own image. Underneath his sideways facing image was an engraved text curved along the bottom of the coin, Cardinalis Interioribus. He turned the coin over and read aloud the interior’s motto: “Spera in Deum, sed Redige cubiculum tuum.”
Della Rovere repeated the motto in the common tongue, “Trust in god, but clean your room.”
The elderly priest of this humble countryside knew the rumors but had never witnessed an event as terrifying as a Cardinal’s Punishment. He trembled in terror. Della Rovere looked the man in the eyes,
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“You do know what to do with this coin right?”
“Yes Holy Father!” he shouted terrified out of his mind.
“Tell me then. What?”
“T-Take this to the bishop! Petition your office for assistance with damages! If - Only if it please you Holy Father!”
“You’ve nothing to fear from me my son. That is correct. Take my coin to your bishop on the morrow. They’ll see about cleaning up and repairing your chapel. I don’t recommend you go inside in its current state.” Della Rovere placed a hand on the elderly man’s shoulder, “The church will compensate you fairly. Goodnight my son.”
“G-Goodnight Holy Father!” As Della Rovere unhitched his pale white horse the old man found his courage, “Forgive me Holy Father but won’t you stay here tonight? It’s dangerous to be out on the road at night.”
Della Rovere climbed upon his horse, “That’s precisely why I must ride. My task is urgent and can only be completed tonight. Be well and walk with God my son.”
“You as well Holy Father!” He watched gingerly as Della Rovere vanished into the night.
Della Rovere rode looking straight ahead into the coming darkness, “Fafnir’s Tomb eh? Hold on my son I’m coming.”
***
Ribold and Draihan snuck up to the cavern entrance of Fafnir’s Tomb. Draihan had the bandit thrall approach. One useful aspect of strangling a man to death was that the body wasn’t bloodied or shredded enough to arouse suspicion. And the speed in which it was summoned back to life had prevented any obvious degradation. The guards approached the Draihan’s latest thrall.
“Hey Luca! Where the hell have you been?! The boss is furious and got us on high alert all because your lazy-ass didn’t return when you were supposed to.”
True to its nature the thrall didn’t speak. Instead it continued walking forward. As the guards stepped into its way Draihan commanded it wordlessly with his mind to attack. The thrall released a deep guttural roar and leaped upon the closest guard sinking its teeth just below his ear. As the guard screamed his friend tried to rip the thrall off. Draihan materialized from the darkness behind him, grabbing his neck and breaking it as easily as he had that chicken on Ribold’s first day.
The other guard struggled with the thrall but Draihan ordered it to silence the guard. The thrall began strangling the man. As the man grasped the throat of the thrall in response its neck snapped. It’s head lolled over at an unnatural angle but it continued to strangle the man. The last thing he saw was the face of his comrade hanging upside down and backwards snarling at him.
When the man stopped moving Draihan turned him and the other guard into thralls as well. “You see? A necromancer is never truly alone. Even outnumbered we can easily turn the tide. When we began it was merely two of us against eight of them. But now it’s five on five.”
Ribold chipped in, “Don’t forget Alfso. When we free him he can help! And there’s still my fish!”
“And there’s your fish.” Draihan said dryly and walked forward with a posse of former enemies in tow. “Take the left path and free Alfso. I will ensure the strong ones do not interfere.”
“Right!”
“Ribold!”
“What?”
“There’s another prisoner with Alfso. But be wary. He could be one of them setting a trap.”
“I’ll be careful, and besides I might be able to save him too.”
“If he proves to be too strong run.” Draihan awaited a response but turned to see Ribold had already ran down the left path out of sight. “Damned kid will be the death of me.”
***
Ribold ran down the cavern path. He encountered no resistance and found Alfso chained to a metal pole and next to him the other prisoner.
“Alfso! I’m here to get you out!”
Alfso’s eyes lit up with elation, “I knew you’d come for me!”
“It’s what friends are for right?”
“Hurry up and get these chains off me!”
Ribold ran up to Alfso and began trying to untangle the chains. “There’s a lot of chains here. They must’ve really been afraid of you.”
“I fell asleep and woke up like this.”
As Ribold tried to untangle the chains they began to move. Ribold’s hand got caught in the chains as they rapidly moved and constricted around Alfso as if alive.
“The chain’s- Ow!” They curled and wrapped around Ribold’s hand pinning it at an unnatural angle to Alfso’s chest.
“See that Viti. Told ya I’d get him,” said the other prisoner. “Am I a good boy? Will you give me a reward?” The bandit Viti slapped him hard enough for Ribold and Alfso to flinch before turning a crank. The chains around the prisoner began to stretch out his body to unnatural levels.
“Just as promised Chakken. Now we can turn them over to the church.”
The chains continued to constrict Ribold and Alfso. Ribold panicked. Bad enough to fall into someone’s trap, but the church ruled his mother as evil and destroyed their home. Ribold couldn’t fail his mother now.
“That’s it. Keep them bound up real good,” Viti said. Alfso began to cry in pain as the chains continued constricting. Ribold began to scream and an audible pop echoed out. Ribold shrieked as the bone in his upper arm snapped.
“Now he probably won’t be able to summon without the use of both hands.”
Ribold reached to the ground but nearly vomited from the excruciating pain, his cries echoing throughout the cave.
***
Master Vol woke up annoyed. A man of his age had prostate issues and it was now his third reminder that he had to pee. He slipped out of bed into soft slippers and padded his way down the hall of the academy. He reached the lavatory and struggled for a minute before he finally began to fill his chamberpot. As he shook himself dry a voice echoed behind him.
“It must be hard to grow old Master Vol.”
The old man tensed immediately and felt fear for the first time in a long time. He couldn’t be sure if was the embarrassment or that this unidentified guest actually made him afraid. He shook himself dry and replaced himself beneath his robes. Without turning around he simply washed his hands before he replied, “Kat! I should have known you’d come.”
“I had to know how my son is progressing.”
“Why should I feel compelled to answer when you were the one who abandoned him?”
“Because it’s the decent thing to do. You’re nothing,” she said as he turned to face her, “If not decent.”
“Ribold is faring well.”
“Whose his master?”
“Draihan.”
“That boy? Why?”
“It’s more for Draihan’s benefit than Ribold’s I suppose. I can’t completely bring myself to care about a child I barely know and that I suspect you sent to destroy me.”
“Master Vol, at my current capacity I lack the means to kill you permanently. And Ribold is not to be wasted on something so...” she selected her words cautiously before settling on mischievous, “trivial.”
“So grand are your plans Kat that even I am trivial within them?” Vol’s voice betrayed a sense of exhaustion and sadness.
“You’re the one who taught me that everything serves a purpose. Even you. I see
that now.”
“Well at least I passed on some wisdom, though I fear you misuse it.”
“What’s my son’s progress?”
“He has his coffin and a few elementary summons. He seems to be a natural at necromancy. Just like his mother I take it? However I must applaud you.”
“How so?”
“Ribold is nothing but kind. He was attacked by a vicious man at Mueller’s. Ribold managed to survive the attack relatively unharmed but when Mueller gave him the chance to avenge himself Ribold refused, unable to bring himself to kill even his attacker.”
“There was no permanent damage?”
“Scared and bruised but no more. Which is why I’m surprised a porcupine that bleeds ice could raise such a kind young man.”
“It was nice for a time,” Katharsis said wistfully, “But he has to grow up. Besides the church also knows about him. And he must never fall into their hands.”
“Who’s his father?” Vol asked. Katharsis remained silent and began to look away. “He was powerful wasn’t he?” Katharsis looked away and then Vol shuddered in realization, “A clergyman was he? Why?”
“You and Pious ‘the soon to be Last’ have divided Europe in your petty philosophical games. I’m going to sweep that away.”
“Ah yes. The revolution you foretold the last time we spoke.”
“I’m going to be more than the next guildmaster. I’ll be the next Pope as well.”
Vol sputtered flabbergasted, “A woman Pope? One of us is delusionally drunk but I’m not sure which.”
“Keep doubting me Vol. I’ll remember that when I trample your grave.”
“Katharsis, it was never your ability that I doubted. It’s your tact, and your lack of ethics, your inability to accept that some things can’t change overnight,” Vol thought for a moment and shrugged apologetically, “if ever.”
Katharsis smoldered behind her cordial demeer. “‘Faith burns the knowledge of science. Science rejects the purpose of faith.’ You taught me this when I was but a girl. However I would say ‘What journey can be achieved without the knowledge to know where to go and the purpose to travel there?”
“I too would have liked reach a concordat with the church but they reject us.” Vol said gently explaining just as he did when she was his apprentice.
“I never blamed you entirely Vol. You deserve not more than 50% of the blame. Less when we consider how many misbehaving necromancers aggravated our relationship to the church.”
“Certainly the Blood Libel didn’t help things which is why I banned the murder of children. It’s also why I don’t want you anywhere near Ribold.”
Katharsis’s demeanor soured. Offended she said, “I’d never sacrifice my son for my own power. However the church performs its own horrendous blood rituals with the sexual exploitation of its own children, systemically.”
Vol walked back to the door and placed one hand on the doorknob, “Why don’t you stay awhile Kat? Just like old times. You can argue with me until the cows return, I’ll buy you some piltz for old time sake. You can see your son again under my supervision.”
“Ribold has his own purpose in life. For now our intentions are aligned. Keep him away from the church at all costs.”
“You never said who is his father.”
“Oh that detail?” Katharsis contemplated and settled for the truth, “The Cardinal of the Interior.”
“Della Rovere?! I didn’t think it was possible to corrupt a Cardinal so pure. One favored to become a new pope. To think you already turned him...”
“You overestimate me. He was merely the donor necessary to conceive. Nothing more.”
“Dozens of men were more than willing here in Todt Stadt. Della Rovere is no mere donor.”
“He won’t stop until he retakes his son. You have to stop him.”
“It’s out of my hands Kat. I’m just a feeble old man that takes too long to pee. I’m not as influential as you think.”
Vol’s chest exploded with a saber from an arm that had emerged from the shadows on the wall. He coughed blood for a moment, his red spittle dying his greying beard red. Out of the bathroom stalls marched multiple skeletons with flaming swords, their flesh rotten away exposing burned bones wearing cardinal attire.
As they surrounded the impaled bleeding old man Vol spoke with a pained voice, “So those raids in the Vatican necropolis… They were true?!” Katharsis’s cardinal thralls attacked with standard flaming weapons longswords. Vol tore the skeleton out from the shadow onto the floor and stomped on its skull. He then received multiple direct stab wounds from the three cardinal’s flaming swords.As the fire burned away his flesh Vol released a chain from his burning robe and began flailing it towards the cardinals.
The chain wrapped around the head of the central cardinal and Vol pulled hard sending it’s head flying and bouncing off of the ceiling. With his free hand he grasped another cardinal’s weapon with his bare hands. As the holy fire burned away his flesh to reveal bones Vol squeezed his disembodied hand shattering the weapon in one sudden move. Vol held the fragment in his blackened finger bones and used it to stab the disarmed cardinal and it roared in pain. Vol himself crumbled away to reveal his own skeleton. Vol in his true form unhinged his jawbone and lunged forward biting the final summoned cardinal. Vol bit deep and wide and with a twist of his skeletal neck tossed the cardinal through the stained glass bathroom window. Vol turned to Katharsis who looked visibly shaken. Vol’s jawbone moved as bright little violet magical threads became taut vibrating wires that emulated his vocal cords.
“You may not have the capacity to kill me permanently but the reverse is not true. Is it Katharsis Merron...”
The twilight witch only feared three men at this stage of her life. At this point she was face to face with one of them. She was visibly concerned and began to step towards the shattered window while trying to keep her voice calm. “Killing me is not a simple task Vol. You of all people know that.”
Part of Vol’s robe still clung to him and from it a massive black axe emerged, “Axt der Absoluten Leere,” (Axe of the Absolute Void). Katharsis began to move faster. “You know your weakness Katharsis Merron? You fear death. But what I hold isn’t something nearly as trivial as death.”
“The axe that severs life from reincarnation. Permanent death. Anyone struck by the weapon ceases to exist and cannot be returned. You’ve used it for years to annihilate summons and grant death to Necromancers who choose not to contribute after their deaths.”
Vol understood just how dangerous Katharsis was to the stability of the world. For centuries he and Pious had ensured that necromancers kept to the arts of death and clergymen kept to the arts of fire. The danger of those who could produce both was unimaginable. And Kat was now one such human. The fact that her summons were capable of welding flames suggested her revolutionary work had made even further breakthroughs than Vol had feared. There was no more time, he had to end her now. He raced to and brought down the axe with all of his one handed strength and a blaze appeared. Vol looked into the eyes of a man he hadn’t seen in centuries. The man that nearly killed him when he was but an acolyte. Pope Honorius XVI stood with a fiery rod that blocked Vol’s battleaxe. Vol hesitated at the sight of his old enemy before looking over to Katharsis. “You truly are a wretched woman Kat! You used necromancy to seize a Pope!?”
“Oh it’s more than that as you can see. He’s fresh and strong just as you remember him.” Vol had long surpassed Honorius XVI but if commoners found out about this the world would surely fall into anarchy. The most holy leader enthralled? Katharsis dropped out of the window and rose back atop a flying skeletal pteranodon. Vol struck at Honorius as Katharis rode off into the night. Honorius parried his axe blow and stepped on Vol’s arm to prevent him from raising the axe. His staff’s flames extinguished and as shadows fell across the ruined bathroom. Honorious leapt within the shadows and vanished from the physical plane, no doubt back into Kat’s collection.
Vol humiliated, walked to the edge to see Katharsis riding into the moonlight. He considered summoning his own steed to give chase but thought better of it. Katharsis was dangerous and if she was willing to demonstrate a collection of cardinals and even a pope, she surely had more up her sleeve. Vol thought quietly to himself about what had transpired as Kat shrank silhouetted within the full moon.
So, if young Ribold is important enough that Kat personally paid me a visit then he must be invaluable. Had I realized his father was Della Rovere I’d have never let him out of Todt Stadt. If Della Rovere reclaims his son and if Ribold possesses the same aptitudes as his parents, it’ll bring ruin to us all. I must recall Draihan at once.