Duchess Alendria’s carriage rolled smoothly down the streets of District 13.
The second highest ranking house Vorva member sat surrounded by attendants, window shades closed, with a hand over her eyes.
She was nursing a hangover.
“At least the roads are well kept.” She muttered, dreading an unexpected bump.
“Yes, well, by all accounts, your cousin runs a tight ship.”
“Well, it’s easy to prevent a leak when the ship’s already sunk.” The Duchess replied.
Her diminutive Acolyte smiled.
“Quite.” Acolyte Reybun replied, marking something down with her pen.
“A culling.” Alendria muttered, “In my lifetime…”
She shook her head.
“I should never have given him a Distinct.” She sighed. “He’s all brains and now balls. It shouldn’t have come to this.”
“He does make money.” Reybun noted.
“Not enough to excuse a culling.” Alendria snorted.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
The Duchess looked at her Acolyte, confused.
Acolyte Reybun shrugged.
“What’s going on?” Alendria frowned. “Why have we stopped?”
A slot opened in the front of the cart.
“Road’s blocked, my Lady.” The driver answered.
“Tell them to move.” She commanded. “I’m a bloody Duchess.”
“I’ve tried, My Lady.” He replied. “I think they’re ignorin’ me.”
The Duchess raised an eyebrow to her favored Acolyte.
She shrugged again.
Alendria sighed, leaning forward to open the door and poke her head outside.
Her eyes widened.
The Shroud was thick this morning. Thicker than it should be. However, the Duchess could still see that the crowd of Kadenites before her stretched for several blocks. Packed like herded sheep, clustered shoulder to shoulder. They were alarmingly quiet.
She leaned back inside.
“The whole district must be out there.”
The Acolyte cocked her head in surprise.
Alendria put a finger to her chin.
“Do you think Crecius is making some sort of play? Putting on a show of obedience in an attempt to keep the district?”
Acolyte Reybun pondered.
“Unlikely.” She replied. “He’s not one to inspire loyalty.”
“Quite so.” The Duchess agreed.
Eventually, she shrugged.
“Let’s have a look, shall we?”
The two women exited the carriage and began pushing their way through the throng of people.
At first, many of the Kadenites were irritated at being shoved aside, but when they saw who she was, they made space.
So, they still have some respect for the hierarchy. She reasoned. But their deference is lacking slightly. What has them so caught up?
Alendria was surprised she wasn’t getting a more exaggerated reception. This should be the first time many of them had seen such a high ranking Apostle. The people acknowledged her, but they quickly went back to their positions. Staring forward. Waiting.
For what exactly?
It took several minutes for the Duchess and her Acolyte to arrive at Kelseen Square. The roads were packed for blocks around.
They pushed through to the center of the courtyard, then stopped.
A large stage was visible in front of District Headquarters. Dozens of priests stood quietly in a row at the back. Their silhouettes were hazy, blending into the Shroud with their white robes. They loomed like ancient spirits over the waiting crowd.
“What are those cunts doing up here?” Alendria whispered.
“There were rumors of a rival Lord running the Prophet’s Refrain here.” Reybun mentioned.
The Duchess frowned.
“It’s not like any Refrain I’ve ever seen.”
The Acolyte shrugged.
Alexandria frowned.
The Prophet’s refrain was meant to sow chaos in a district. To rouse discontentment among the Kadenites and make trouble for the Lord. The impact was usually small, and generally annoying, quelled easily with a firm boot. But, this had obviously gone a different way… a very different way…
Footsteps echoed across the misty square.
The Kadenites eyes shifted in unison to the stairs that led to the Stage.
More heavy steps on creaking wood.
Alendria squinted, and was surprised to see a massive man rising above the crowd.
He had ebony skin and wore the simple white robes of the Church, a golden sash at his waist.
“Who is that?” The Duchess asked.
“I believe he’s one of Crecius’ Acolytes.”
“Then why is he wearing priest's robes?”
The Acolyte shrugged again.
The man walked gracefully across the stage, broad shoulders swaying with his confident stride.
He stopped in the center, turning to face the crowd.
They were still.
Alendria was still.
It seemed the whole world was still, waiting for this man’s words.
“Kadenites.”
He did not yell, but his deep voice carried easily across the silent square.
“I come bearing grave tidings.” He sighed. “Yesterday, violence was done in this very square.”
He shook his head.
“Violence against Inspectors, violence against Acolytes, and violence against your fellow citizens.”
He looked out across the crowd, judgment in his eyes. There was a certain regality to this man that struck the Dutchess as familiar.
“You have come here today expecting what… Punishment?”
He paused, raising an eyebrow. No one responded, but there was a shuffling of feet as the tension built.
“Indeed, the Prophet’s Fifth Tenet says ‘Sins must be cleansed or ruin will follow.’” He quoted. “And the events of yesterday were indeed a grievous sin.”
Alendria looked around, seeing sadness in the eyes of the Kadenites, embarrassment.
The priest's brow furrowed.
“However, as I look upon this crowd, as I gaze into your earnest eyes, I do not see ruin. I see sadness, pain, confusion. I see a people who have been used, coerced, and manipulated by an unknown, unnatural force.”
An uncomfortable shuffle went through the throng of Kadenites, the silent watchers began to mutter in anxiety.
“For weeks you’ve lived under the tyranny of black magic, afraid to give the feelings voice. For weeks you’ve suffered, your dreams invaded, thoughts subjugated, hearts corrupted.”
The murmur of the crowd rose, their frustration and confusion mounting.
“But I am here to tell you…”
He paused, letting the moment rise.
“That you can lay your worries away!”
The crowd went quiet.
The priest continued.
“I am happy to report that your Lord has heard your silent cries. He has listened to your unspoken anguish. He has felt the unholy presence in his land and last night he took steps to cleanse this magic from the District.”
More murmurs, they had a higher timber this time, more hopeful?
“Last night, the Lord reached out, and in his great wisdom, he enlisted the assistance of the Prophet’s Church to slay this vile entity. And with the Holy might of Prophet and Apostle, bonded together, my men and I ventured into the darkest crypts, far beneath our feet, and the wretched stain of sin was cleansed from the district.”
Gasps and sighs of relief went through the citizenry. Excitement rose as the words traveled out of the square and into the streets beyond.
Alexandria looked around, stunned.
Every word the priest had spoken was one that had never before been heard in Kaden City. It was a story surely spun from whole cloth. From black magic entities, to Crecius partnering with the church, not a lick of it could possibly be true, not in the District’s at least.
The Kadenites were usually not so credulous about such things, with the religion being more about guidelines than God’s, but this morning they seemed to be eating it up, eyes wide with wonder.
The priest smiled, waiting patiently for the commotion to die down.
“You felt it didn’t you?”
His voice carried over the crowd, although it sounded but a whisper on the wind.
“A certain clarity when you woke… A subtle calm within your heart… An end to nightmares.”
Kadenites nodded all around. Some had tears in their eyes.
The priest nodded in solidarity.
“The Lord did a good thing this day. Enlisting the help of the Church in this matter was necessary, and right.”
The crowd nodded along.
“Indeed, just this morning, in a moment of brilliance only Lord Crecius could find… He has decided that from now on, The Church of the Prophet should have a stronger hand in his district.”
Eyes widened in the crowd, the subtle sound of agreement rose among them.
“The fuck are you doing.” Alendria muttered, incredulous of this man’s ambition.
“The Lord has seen that his people deserve the light and purity of the Prophet in all things, not just in the daily words of the District Crier.”
People began to speak up, whispering things like ‘Good’, and ‘It’s the right thing’.
The towering priest raised a hand to quiet them.
“And… To stack great on top of good… In celebration of this new partnership, the Lord has invited Duchess Alendria herself to give her blessing.”
The giant man gestured to where Alendria was standing.
The whole crowd turned as one, a note of surprise rippling through their ranks as they realized exactly who she was.
Excitement showed on many Kadenite faces, but Alendria couldn’t wipe the frown off her own.
She played her part however, approaching the Priest with equal parts irritation and curiosity.
What is this bastard doing?
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The Duchess wondered as she neared the stage.
A partnership? There hasn’t been a bloody partnership since the first age.
People stared at her with grateful eyes, saying ‘thank you’ and ‘bless you’ as she passed.
Alendria grimaced as some reached out affectionately to touch her.
“Bloody priest cunt.”
She ascended the stage stairs, thoughts of a Cleansing in the forefront of her mind.
There’s no reversing this. These people are too far gone. They’re bloody insane to believe all this.
Should she just get it over with? Cleanse the whole square and be done?
The Dutchess smiled, imagining it. Ten thousand crazed Kadenites split in two, threshed like so much wheat by her mercurial winds.
The hulking priest strode to meet her as she crested the stairs.
He put out a hand and she took it.
The dark man leaned in, pulling her close.
“Hear me out.” He whispered. “You can cleanse the district whenever you want.”
He pulled back, giving her hand a firm shake.
“For now.” He smiled, voice rising so the crowd could hear. “Why don’t you show these good people the light of your mercy.”
He winked at her, eyes shifting toward the sky in suggestion of her next move.
Alendria ground her teeth.
He bloody winked at me!
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to kill the hulking cunt, or bed him right her and now.
The priest stepped aside, motioning for her to take center stage.
The Duchess moved to face the crowd.
She looked out over the thousands of Kadenites of District 13, secure in the knowledge that she could crush them like bugs beneath a platform of air.
She smiled at the thought, then shook her head, clearing it.
‘Hear me out.’ The priest had said…
Her smile widened.
“Good people of District 13. I Duchess Alendria Vorva, do bless this Holy bond between District 13 and the Prophet’s Church.”
She raised a hand to the sky, tapping into her well.
A bubble of clarity formed around her, the Shroud disappearing inside the sphere of her magic.
The bubble expanded, encompassing the stage, then the square, soon the whole district was free of the mists.
The sun's light shone down on the Kadenites of District 13 like it hadn’t for a hundred years.
They looked up, stunned by its brilliance.
Then, they erupted in cheers.
----------------------------------------
The priest and the Duchess entered the Headquarters of District 13.
“Right this way, My Lady.” The towering man said, gesturing for her to follow.
“We can speak in the Mayor’s office.”
They ascended the stairs quickly. The priest opened the door for her when they reached the third floor.
“No please, after you.” She invited.
The dark man shrugged, turning to make his way toward the small office at the back of the room.
The Duchess followed closely, surreptitiously pulling back a fist and throwing it toward the small the man’s back.
Alendria tapped her well, pushing energy into the tip of her fist.
As the strike connected, a rush of wind ejected the hulking priest across the room.
He flew almost twenty paces before striking a heavy wooden desk in an explosion of splinters and paper.
Alendria smiled, approaching the man’s body with a little less anger in her heart.
She heard a groan from the scrapheap of wood and dust.
Still alive, eh?
She moved with confident steps to stand over the broken priest.
The Duchess looked down, brow furrowing.
He was not as broken as she might have hoped.
His nose was bleeding, but other than that, the priest seemed relatively unscathed.
Alendria cocked her head.
He was quite handsome actually.
How had she not heard of this one?
The Dutchess made a mental note to interrogate her Custodian of Creepers about this oversight.
“Ugh.”
The priest groaned in pain, brushing wood chips from his face.
“I guess I deserved that.”
“That’s not even a tenth of what you deserve.” She countered. “I’m interested to hear what you have to say, and for that you need to be able to talk.”
The Duchess stepped over him, moving to the Mayor's office.
“Get yourself cleaned up and meet me in my office when you’re ready.” She commanded, sitting down in a chair obviously meant for a larger person.
Alendria watched curiously as the giant man gathered himself, standing and brushing debris from his robes with that same familiar regality she’d noticed in the courtyard.
The priest bowed as he entered.
“My Lady.”
She gestured for him to sit in the chair before her.
He did, the chair creaking under his massive weight.
Alendria took the time to examine the man.
He had intelligent eyes, to go with that handsome face, and beneath the loose white robes of the Church, she could tell there were mountains of muscle.
Quite the specimen, indeed.
“So you’re proposing a partnership.” Alendrai stated.
The large man nodded.
“Yes, my Lady.”
“And why should I accept such a ridiculous proposal?” She asked. “The embarrassment alone would set my house back a hundred years.”
The priest raised an eyebrow.
“How much further can you really go?”
“A fair point.”
Alendria shrugged.
“But, why shouldn’t I just cleanse this place. It would send a strong message to the other families.”
The towering man cocked his shaven head.
“Quite the opposite.” He argued. “When a ruler is strong, killing looks like justice. When they are weak, it reeks of cowardice.”
The Duchess cocked her head in return.
“Are you quoting Artur?”
The Priest frowned sheepishly.
“The man has a way with words.”
Alendria grinned.
An educated man… Does he harbor some disdain for the Blessed? Or just Artur?
“Alright young priest. Get me there.” She cooed. “What will you give me that outweighs the trouble of a cleansing?”
The man smiled, white teeth glistening in the midmorning sun.
“Well… for starters…”
The priest reached into a sleeve of his robe, pulling out a golden ring and placing it on his finger.
It had the sigil of an open hand emblazoned upon it.
Alendria’s eyes widened.
He was a Vice Scepter.
How have I not heard of this man? She wondered again.
The man continued.
“As you can see, I am a Vice Scepter. Which means, when you enter a partnership with me, I can assure you that you will be getting the full might of the church in return.”
The Dutchess chuckled.
“And what might is that? I’ve already got Scepters and Vice-Scepter aplenty to play with.”
The Priest raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“House Vorva? I’d say Vice Scepters, maybe.”
Her grin faltered a bit.
He’s well informed too… Formidable.
“And can you really trust their loyalty?” He pressed. “Our partnership will be out in the open, there will be no question where my allegiances lay. But, with the others, working in secret? What’s to stop them selling their favors to the highest bidder.”
“Yes, but they do give favors.” She countered. “I have yet to hear what you’ll be giving me.”
“How about frontrunner access to 80% of all information across the network.”
Alendria raised an eyebrow.
Well that’s a thing…
She hadn’t even considered that as a possibility.
“Tell me more.”
The Vice Scepter grinned.
“The Church controls 40% of all transfer nodes within the city. This allows us access to almost 80% of total messages in the network. Imagine the advantage access to that information would give you?”
The Duchess grinned, enjoying the idea.
“Now imagine the power you’d have if you could change those messages in flight. Or perhaps, add a message of your own?”
Her eyes widened.
“The Sentinel.” She whispered. “That was you?”
“Exactly.” He grinned. “You’ve seen the effect our massages have had here after only a few weeks, and that was just a test run. Imagine what we could do with strategic messaging across the whole city.”
Alendria sighed, realizing she’d been holding her breath.
She pressed her hands together, touching them to her chin.
This partnership was sounding better and better by the moment.
Maybe too good.
“What are you getting out of this?” She asked, skeptical.
He frowned.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
The Dutchess grimaced.
“Power…”
The Priest nodded.
“The Church hasn’t had any real authority since the second age. This partnership would give us administrative power, however small, for the first time in a hundred years. And, if we use our advantages wisely, as the power of house Vorva grows, so will that of the Church.”
Alendria nodded.
Now it all made sense. Power was a game she’d played since childhood. It was a game she’d excelled at. So, for the Church to want more of it… well, it seemed only natural to her.
Of course, a deep ancestral part of her blood was screaming that this was a huge mistake, that a Church with political power was a Church Unbound, able to grow unchecked.
However, the practical part of her mind, the one that lived in reality, could only see benefits.
A powerful church might be dangerous, but her house was on the verge of collapse as it was. She could worry about quelling religious sentiments among the Kadenites when she was in a better position. But right now she needed those sentiments, and the church’s reach, to get there.
“I like it.” Alendria smiled. “How about we start with a trial period. Say, one year?”
The Dutchess stood, holding out a hand.
The priest joined her.
“One year.” He repeated, taking her hand.
“Oh, and I reserve the right to cleanse the district whenever I wish.” She stated.
The handsome priest grinned.
“Of course.”
She returned the expression.
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
There was a bang from the back of the room as stubby Lord Crecius crashed through the double doors, his face red, hair slicked back with sweat.
Alendria raised an eyebrow at the priest.
“Where does he fit into all this?”
The Vice Scepter shrugged.
“He’ll still be the Lord. But in name only. The Church will take on his duties in the District.”
The Duchess smiled.
“He’ll hate that.”
The towering man sighed as Crecius approached the office door.
“I should really be going.”
Alendria nodded.
“Of course. I have meetings in the Heledon the next few days. Just have your people send me the relevant paperwork to my Acolyte Reybun.”
The Vice Scepter bowed, turning to leave.
“Oh wait, I never got your name.”
The handsome man turned, giving her a smile that was all charm.
“It’s Gile, my Lady.” He said, opening the door. “Vice Scepter Gile.”
Vice Scepter Gile stepped out of the room, swerving to avoid bumping into Lord Crecius on his way.
“Apologies, my Lord.” Gile muttered, skulking past.
“Sh’Geel?” Crecius exclaimed, but the priest ignored him, continuing to the exit.
The Lord shook his head, confused.
He gathered himself quickly however, taking a breath before entering the office, closing the door behind him.
“Cousin, apologies for my tardiness but I–”
“It’s Duchess Alendria, Crecius.”
“Right.” The man stammered, moving to sit in the chair Gile had just occupied.
“Duchess Alendria.” He corrected. “I apologize for my tardiness, bu I have just come from the lab, and I have wondrous news. You see, I’ve just achieved a monumental breakthrough in magic sciences. Absolutely groundbreaking stuff really.”
The Duchess cringed. Letting out a deep sigh.
“And what is this breakthrough, cousin?” She asked, rolling her eyes.
“It’s the resonance.” The man stammered, making unreadable motions with his hands. “Humans are not meant to wield such frequencies, but– But I think I’ve found a way.”
Alendria’s eyes widened, blood going cold.
This idiot…
When had he started working on this? How had she not known?
“A way of using Black Magic?” The Dutchess pressed, voice tight.
“Yes.” He smiled, excited. “A way to bind the Rot to an object, to make its poisonous properties inert. Theoretically it’s possible. And in just a few years, I think– I think we can put it into practice.”
She let out a breath.
A few years…
How had she not known about this?
“Making the Rot, inert?” She repeated, face hardening. “Why would I want that?”
“Well you see– It would.”
The Lord cocked his head, confused at her tone.
“Wait. Wh–What do you mean? It’s–”
The Duchess cut him off.
“It’s the end of Sin, Yes, I understand that… But I ask again… Why would I want it?”
“Well I– I–” Lord Crecius stammered, confused by her reaction. “Imagine the power we’d have access to, the magics we could use. The things we could accomplish! I’ve already made several ad-”
“Do you know what Sin is, Crecius.” Alendria hissed, impatient with his ignorance.
“Well, it’s–”
“It’s a tool, you idiot! A very useful tool. One that Keeps the Kadenites in line.”
She let out a deep sigh of annoyance.
“You ask me to imagine the power we’d have access to, if we could only take the grip on power that we already have and remove its thumb!”
The Lord shook his head, eyes blinking rapidly.
“It's… It’s a breakthrough–”
“It’s a waste of resources, is what it is.” Alendria spat. “I’ve given you too much leash for far too long, cousin. It’s about time I reeled you in.”
The Lord leaned back in shock.
“Waste of resources– I’m giving you the greatest breakthrough since the founding of The Noveriat. It’s my life’s work.”
“No… What you’re giving me is a district in shambles and a hope that you might have something useful ten years from now.”
Crecius burst from his chair.
“The district? Who cares about the district!” He exclaimed. “So we do a culling. A little discord in among the rabble can hardly measure up to weight of my new–”
“Sit down cousin!” The Dutchess Commanded.
The pudgy Lord sat sharply.
Alendria waited a moment for him to regather his wits.
“Good.”
She nodded, taking a gathering breath of her own.
“Now… I’m taking away your District, Crecius.”
The man froze. Eyes going wide.
Alendria continued.
“You’ve made us some good money, but your management style leaves much to be desired.”
She gave him an apologetic frown.
“You’ll keep your title, but I’ve made arrangements for an outside party to take over the day to day administration.”
The Lord’s face reddened.
“I–I– I don’t understand. Wh–who will be taking over?”
The Duchess grinned.
“Oh, you just missed him.”
Crecius’ head pulled back in confusion.
“Sh’Geel?” He questioned, baffled by the absurdity of it.
Alendria frowned, putting a finger to her chin.
“I believe it’s Gile, actually. Vice Scepter Gile, If I’m not mistaken.”
“Vice Scep–”
The Lord shook his head, eyes frantic.
“I–I don’t understand… Cousin. Wha— I don’t understand.”
Alendria cocked her head.
Had she broken him?
“It’s a good thing, Crecius.” The Duchess soothed. “It’ll give you more time to work on your theories.”
“But–But my funding.”
Her lips pressed to a line.
“That’ll have to go to the Vice Scepter as well, I’m afraid.”
She shook her head.
“We just can’t afford to indulge you any longer.”
The Lord shook his head, sweat pouring down his face.
“Indulge–I–I Don’t.”
He looked at her, eyes wide with panic.
“I don’t understand…”
Alendria stood, making her way around the desk to Crecius’ side.
She laid a consoling hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, cousin, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes. I’m sure you’ll find something new to keep you busy.”
The Dutchess left the room smiling, enjoying the stammering sounds of Lord Crecius as they faded behind her.
“I–I don’t understand.”
“I–It’s –I Don’t understand…”
“I– I– I– I don’t understand…”