If Orion was here were the other Stellapuer still safe? He scanned the street for any more bodies but was only met with empty storefronts. Shuddering he turned back towards the guards behind him. “Cut him down,” Calder barked.

The soldiers stood there momentarily, considering his orders, until one stepped forward and unsheathed his sword. With labored movements, he pulled an empty wooden crate from the storefront and flipped it upside down. The crate creaked as the armored man stepped on it. Reaching up he steadied the rope with one hand and sawed it with his sword in the other. After a few moments, the strands of the rope began to snap. The mangled corpse carelessly fell to the ground. Then the soldier grunted as he stepped off the self-made platform.

“It is done my lord,” he said as he resheathed his sword.

Calder internally braced himself as he tried to regain his composure. “The corpse. We must dispose of the corpse. This unsightly view is not acceptable.”

As he said those words a rumble could be heard from the back of the shop. Heavy steps approached the wooden door until it flung open. A thick and callused hand rested on the door frame and a plump man stared with dead eyes at the prince and his entourage. “What is the meaning of this,” he grumbled with a voice that came from the back of his throat.

“You hung a boy in front of your shop. We are simply cleaning up your mess.” Calder retorted, trying to hold back the venom in his voice.

“What’s it matter to you? The lout tried to steal from me. He’s just one of them Stellapuer. Nothing more than a rat who tested his luck.” The shopkeeper lifted his hand to scratch his unshaven face.

Calder’s fist tightened. He wanted to hit this man. The only thing stopping him was the prying eyes of those around him. “You fool, you cut off his hand. Don't you know the laws of this land? This crime did not hold the weight of hanging."

“The laws of the land don’t apply to them.” He glared at the corpse and then back at the prince. “So let me deal with him. You needn’t dirty your hands with this matter. My lord.” He added, his lips curling into a sinister smile.

With a quick movement, Calder pointed at the shopkeeper. He was done dealing with him. “Arrest him for this indecent act. While the laws of the land may not apply to the Stellapuer, they apply to you. Exposing the general public to such a sight calls for punishment.”

The six guards glanced at each other unsure if they should follow the prince’s orders. After a moment of hesitation, they stepped forward. Two stepped behind the shopkeeper and pushed their hands against his back while one man drew his sword. With a jolt of his wrist, he tried to shake the guards off to no avail. “You have no right,” he growled. “This boy. He isn’t documented. He has no connection to the church or state.” He continued struggling until one of the guards gave him a swift kick in the back of the knee. Buckling under the unexpected shift in weight, he scowled at the prince. “Unpleasant sight! That's just an excuse, and you know it.”

Calder watched as three other guards lifted Orion’s body from the pavement. The aggressive shouts of the man behind him were drowned out by his thoughts. I must check on the others immediately. He looked regrettably at Orion. I mustn’t tell them what to do with the body. Any hint of respect would invite suspension. Perhaps they will burn it or dump it in a burial pit. Calder winced at the thought.

The guards began to make their way up the street with the shopkeeper in tow. A hunched man scurried past them directly toward the prince. He carefully hid his hands behind his back until he was a few paces away from Calder. The fingers of his hands curled up as he presented himself with an articulate bow. His scrunched face shifted unusually as he smiled. “My prince, your father sends me to deliver a message. If you may lend me your ear for but a moment.”

“You may proceed,” Calder said, resisting the urge to glance back at the men carrying Orion’s body.

The short man cleared his throat and began. “The Black Hand of Obcurses has taken up residence in the second church of Hiltrid. They have made unreasonable demands and are threatening to burn the building. It is required of you to de-escalate the situation.”

“I will see that the issue is resolved.”

The messager promptly offered another bow then turned back to the palace. Calder sighed. Is this my father’s way of punishing me for not attending the bloodletting ceremony? By now Orion’s body was out of sight, and Calder straightened himself to regain the last bit of his composure. The hand of Obcurses, he thought as he continued down the stone streets. They, like most of the public, were displeased with the situation the kingdom found itself in. Except their discontentment had boiled over into action. But they did not seek peace, they sought a revolution. At least that's what Calder understood of them. A revolution back to the old ways of worshiping the ancient Titan Obscurses. Not a very revolutionary idea, Calder sneered to himself.

The second church of Hiltrid was surrounded by about two dozen soldiers. The spire at the front of the church rigidly pierced the sky. At the entrance intricate carvings covered three archways. A commander, denoted by his black shoulder piece, stood over a wooden table looking at a map of the interior of the building. Several others stood around him pointing at various parts of the map. He turned from his discussion as the prince approached.

“My lord,” he said pressing his right hand against his left shoulder. “I am honored you can join us.”

Calder waved the commander's salute away. “No need for formalities, Neal. Let me know the situation so we can wrap this up quickly.”

“Yes, my prince.” Neal faced the table and began pointing at smears of charcoal on the map. “Here we have marked where we believe the criminals are located in the church. They have made their way to the back of the chapel. We have surmised they have three lookouts focused on the front entrance. While the other nine of them are together in the back. We have not determined when they intend to burn the building down as the nine have kept themselves out of sight from our scouts.”

Calder nodded in understanding as he rubbed his chin with his hand. “Do they have any weapons on them?”

“The three at the entrance each have a sword and a crossbow. But as for the other nine, we are not sure.” Neal glanced over to Calder and waited for an answer.

“I will go talk to the nine.”

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Neal furrowed his eyebrows at the suggestion. “But my prince we couldn’t possibly put you in such danger.”

“They will not kill me. The hand may be bold but there are limits to their bravery. If they were to kill me the whole might of Obsidius would come crashing down on them and their cause would have been for naught.” Calder pointed to the leather sheath buckled to the commander’s waist. “If it reassures you I can take your sword to defend myself.”

Neal sighed and unbuckled his sheath. Reluctantly he placed it in Calder’s outstretched hand. “If I have any pretext to send my men in, I will.”

The prince finished tightening the sheath to his side. “Thank you for trusting me, Neal.”

The table creaked as Neal steadied himself on it. “Just don’t die.”

Calder began to make his way toward the center archway. He adjusted the buckle on the sheath once more and rested his hand on the hilt of the sword. The two guards at the door watched apprehensively as he approached. They set their hands on the metal handles and slowly pulled against the weight of the doors. A shout came from the inside as the metal doors stopped. Calder gripped tighter on the hilt but soon loosened his fingers. I mustn’t threaten them in any way.

He cupped his hand to the side of his mouth to amplify his voice. “I mean you no harm. Only one person is entering the chapel.”

“Do you carry any weapons on you,” a reply echoed back.

“Just a single sword.”

There was an uneasy pause before the voice returned. “Come in, but keep your hands behind your head.”

Calder raised his hands slowly until they were placed one atop another on the back of his scalp. “I am now entering the building.”

Two men in black and brown patchwork cloaks stepped out from the sides of the archway. Their eyes widened as they saw the source of the voice they had been speaking to. Calder fixed his gaze ahead until he was inside. The vaulted ceiling was bathed in diluted rays of the sun. Tall windows were spaced evenly on either side of him. An occasional shadow passed the translucent glass. Those must be the soldiers Neal sent to watch me, Calder thought.

“I am here to speak to whoever orchestrated this operation. I assume you know who I am and the power I carry.”

The two men beside him nodded. To his left, a man placed a hand on the hilt of Calder’s sword. Withdrawing the blade from its sheath he stared at the polished metal. “It's a nice blade, but you won’t be able to take it with you. Even if you are the prince we can’t take unnecessary risks.”

“Let us hope neither of us needs to use it,” Calder replied in smooth tones.

A third man approached him from the front and then silently patted him down. After his inspection, he motioned with his head toward the back of the chapel. As they walked their boots echoed off the polished floor. The sound brought quiet tension to the group. If anyone moved unusually another would respond in kind whether that be with a fist or sword. As they moved further into the chapel Calder saw that the podium at the back was surrounded by overturned tables. A few crouched figures shifted, only the tops of their backs visible above the tables.

The man in front of him called out to the hidden figures, “Seventh knight, Godrick. The prince has decided to visit us.”

“The prince of Obsidius? Calder Falker?” Godrick’s voice held a hint of unease. A pale hand slid over the edge of the table. “Are you certain he is not an imposter?”

“If you need proof shall I call the might of Obsidius down upon you?” Calder smiled at the shaking hand. “Or should we avoid that?”

“There is no need.” A lanky aged man stood up until he towered over the flipped tables. “I wonder what Ekburt is playing at. Sending his own son here to confront us.” Godrick pushed the tables aside with his shins as if they were nothing more than reeds in a field. As he got closer the prince arched his head to meet his gaze. “So speak what is your case.”

“My case,” Calder laughed. “I have not issued any bold statements. Burning down a church is quite radical is it not? Let me ask you, what do you think this will accomplish?”

“It will bring attention to our cause. Let others know we should not be trifled with.” Godrick leaned in closer until Calder could feel his hot breath. “Perhaps enough attention to warrant a response from your father’s personal guard.”

“The Knights of Obscurses? The ones you so boldly name yourselves after.” Calder paused in thought but kept his eyes fixed on Godrick. What would they want with them? It didn’t make any sense to invite the wrath of one of the knights. It was almost as if they were asking to be killed. Unless they had found a way to usurp control of the knights from the king. “You would come to regret that choice.”

“Perhaps, “ Godrick slinked back. “But as long as the twelve knights stand, the people of Obsidius are forced to worship false Gods.” He paused seemingly waiting for a response but continued when he got none. “I have heard rumors that the prince sympathizes with these false Gods. Sees them not as Gods, or a gift from a divine being but as unfortunate humans. What traitorous thinking some would say. What sacrilege, a true affront to the entire kingdom.” A sinister grin spread across Godrick’s face. “What say, you Calder. Do these rumors speak the truth?”

Calder glanced to his sides. Two shadows passed a window to his left. He straightened his back and broadened his shoulders. “For rumors to be believed they must contain some truth to them. I will admit I have entertained the thought before.”

“Then you should know the hand of Obscurses does not think of the Stellapuer much differently.” Calder raised an eyebrow, yet Godrick continued. “They have been shaped by unfortunate circumstances. Under the rule of Obscurses, they would be free from the burdens placed upon them. Their blood shall sustain the people no more.”

The innocence of his dreams flashed across his eyes until he regained his composure. “Then what shall you sustain the people with? By what power should the people find strength?”

“Is the blood of the Titan Obscurses not enough? From it we were born and to it shall we return. Nearly fifteen hundred years ago the people of Obsidius made the foolish decision to slay their own Titan, their creator. It is a mistake that has changed and perverted us. For we could not accept the truth. That we were born of the darkness.”

Calder frowned. It was not the answer he was looking for. It seemed this cult had adopted a madness not too different from his father. Yet on the matter of the Stellapuer, there was still hope. “That is not a truth that will come easy to the people. The burning of this church will not convince anyone of what you claim.” Calder paused thinking cautiously about his next few words.

Godrick’s voice filled with vigor as he grasped at the chance Calder’s hesitation had brought him. “Then why not call one of the knights to us? That was the purpose of this display. If your father can command them why not you?”

Calder blinked at the suggestion. This man, does he really not know? “I do not hold that power. The power to call the knights is only passed to the current ruler.”

“You say that, but how many lies have we been told? Perhaps you just need some motivation.” Godrick motioned to the man beside the prince who handed him the sword previously taken from Calder. He pointed the tip at Calder’s throat.

Calder felt the cold steel below his chin. Two, no three shadows passed the left window. It was not a lie he really couldn’t summon the knights. His efforts had failed there was no possible way to convince this man, who was so sure of himself. More shadows darted by the window to his right. Neal had likely already been alerted. Why can they not see the bigger picture, Calder asked himself. Godrick, Neal, his father. They were all wrapped up in what had been and what is that they never saw what could be. A deep pit formed in his stomach as he heard the metal doors behind him swing open. A dozen or so voices shouted in unison. Their armored footsteps crashed against the marble floor as they charged forward. Godrick stared behind the prince at the oncoming soldiers and Calder wondered if he should thrust himself into the steadied blade. Calder chuckled to himself. After all, the madness of this kingdom seems to consume everyone. It could only be a matter of time before it comes for me.