Chapter Ten

“Is that what you want for me to be just like you? Attached to this religion and this God without a thought or without merit?” Joliel’s anger burned heavily in his eyes and he stood in front of Mora. “I have seen more than you could see or understand. I have seen the source of it all.”

Agony was heavy in her face as she struggled to remain standing. “Joliel, I am here to help you.” She struggled. “Please, allow me to help you.”

Joliel laughed in a haunting voice that would turn the most courageous of warriors into creatures of doubt. “You don’t even realize you are here because I wanted you hear. Tolin is not in control anymore, nor has he been in some time. You are here because I wished it. Berric is dead because I wished it. Vrok is dead because I wished it. Tolin will be dead soon, because I wish it.”

Casually, keeping a smile on his face, he walked around her, patting her head as if she was a toy, the moment she finally crashed to her knees.

“You do realize, Tolin knew I would ‘dispose of you’. In his way, he helped me understand exactly what I would do to all of you.” Carelessly and intentionally he tossed the message he received from Tolin at her. As it bounced off her head and fell to the ground he laughed again. “You were sent here to die. Make no mistake you will die. Power is not meant to be shared, merely used for a single purpose. The Ministry and your games are over. If there is to be order, it will be from my hand and all will be subject to me.”

Mora suddenly jumped from here feet and charged him. Just in time he ducked from her telegraphed blow. But there was something new in the air, he could feel it. Someone was interfering with his control over Mora. A new strand floated around him trying to choke back his power. It was strong in its own right, but not to the intensity of his own.

Quickly he moved his thoughts and lifted his voice higher as he lost his vision to his gift of will. The embers and strands giving life and form to Mora were easily sequestered a safe distance from him, entrapped for now. With tremendous zeal and power, he moved to purge the new strands from all around him. He never noticed them before they almost had him strangled.

It wasn’t one, but many, focusing together to attempt to breach him, but he found the source and guide to the other powers; Tolin. With quick motions he began to unbind the strands protecting the High Priest. As each strand was destroyed, he could feel the tremor of the power wane. Joliel knew, wherever they were, Tolin’s support was dieing. Finally he found him, encased in dozens of others. Striking quickly, spanning both spiritual and physical, he pulled Tolin to him.

Opening his eyes to the physical world, Joliel found his hand buried in Tolin’s chest, seemingly merged into his flesh. In his still existing fingers he felt the man’s pulsating heart, increasing its beat both in fear and pain. Tears streamed down Tolin’s face from the sheer pain. All around him the powers of his disciples continued to weaken and falter.

“I am not your puppet High Priest. I am the face of death for you.” Joliel almost spat in Tolin’s face.

“You are but a child, this power is unnatural for one of your age. What have you done, what have you taken.” Tolin spoke in halted breaths struggling to breathe.

“I am Seom reborn. You should have known that. You have attempted to control what you are not even aware of.” Joliel squeezed his hand tighter, suffocated the heart by controlling its beating. “You have always been my puppet I am not yours. So many things I didn’t understand until I began to explore my own powers. Your Ministry has held too many secrets. Secrets that should have died long long ago.”

“But only together.” Tolin started, “can we keep the Ministry together and her troops loyal.” Regularly his head dropped as he struggled to stay alive.

“You are a fool priest. The Legions are already loyal to me, only waiting for my arrival. Each has seen and knows me and will see me for who I am. The power of Rhiya is not one for the blind. She blesses those that act on her behalf. With all of you she is sorely disappointed. I am now her anointed and as such, you will all suffer the Shadows.”

Losing his vision into his power yet again, Joliel drove the tendrils of his power throughout the high priests mind, ripping from him every thought, memory and secret. Beyond he could hear the sound of the High Priests screams as his bones and skin cracked and split against the intrusion. Nothing was hidden from the boy, in moments everything was stripped away from Tolin and became part of him.

With every memory he stole from those around him, starting with Visrook, Joliel aged. As he stripped Berric’s thoughts at his moment of death and now Tolin’s his body responded as well. Growing out of time through the infusion of knowledge and life, his body strained, yet he understood. He was absorbing not just their memories but their life essence. Committing them to the Shadows, he was actually committing them to him, absorbing them like a darkness that could only grow.

It was the gift he was promised, the future he saw in his dreams and finally he understood. He was indeed Seom reborn, first creation of Rhiya and her human avatar. He was himself the embodiment of the Shadows, gateway for Rhiya herself.

Once again returning to the physical, he found he could even more easily move through them. Using his voice was no longer needed as his power responded to his becoming without any theatrics. Yet even in that he could see the source; Blackroot, his own personal temple to Rhiya. Joliel’s temple was her gateway back to the physical.

The sobs at his feet broke his attention. Standing taller than her remembered, he saw his own hand, older yet still his, reach down and grab the sobbing woman’s hair. Lifting her harshly to her feet, but not releasing her hair, he yanked her head back so he could see her eyes. Mora was completely broken before him.

“My Lord, forgive my ignorance and my pride. If I had known, I would never have allowed such to be. I thought I was in service to our Lady.” She begged. “Surely I may prove myself and regain the confidence of her graces.”

“Oh you will stay in service. And when that service ends, you will end your own life.” His voice seemed to scream through the walls, causing her to shrink back, yet still restricted by his grasp upon her hair. “You will enter the Shadows and you will be fed upon. But first you will serve to bolster her great Legions.”

With a cruel smile he drug her behind him, making his way down the halls of Blackroot.

****

Assembled in mass before him, the Legions of the Ministry were organized in file and rank. Half a dozen generals, all bearing the smoky symbol of Rhiya against a golden background, took a knee and looked up, focused on him. As Mora was finally released from his grasp and he held up his hands, a salute was heard from all of the Legions;

“Seom of Rhiya!” They recognized the anointed of the demon goddess.

“Loyalist of Rhiya, our time has come. Released are each of you from your bonds of blindness. To all of the cities you will guaranty their loyalty or destroy them. It matters not. The south will suffer for their insolence and those that have taken Hammerhold will pay with servitude. The Ministry Council is dead as is the fallacy it commissioned.” Joliel’s words took on their own life. “To ease that which you have suffered, this whore is now yours.

Kicking her like a dog, Joliel pushed Mora away from him into the crowd. Screaming out she fought against those that took her.

“You were my soldiers, trained by me in service. Release me.” Her words fell deaf upon their ears.

Her words were met with a sudden brutal strike into her cheek. Reeling backwards she lost her footing. Immediately she was struck against by several fists as an entire squadron encircled her. Each she knew, it was her personal guard. Without dignity her garments were stripped from her body, leaving her exposed. With extreme malice she was fondled and groped, each being met with a new outcry from her.

Being spun around, her eyes found Joliel and the horrendous smile upon his face. As she moved to attack him, her personal guard grabbed her arms and legs and forced her to the ground. Keeping her exposed, each obeyed only the commands given by Joliel. To her horror in front of all the Legions, he loosened his garments and knelt between her legs. Everything from there became a blur as her eyes were squeezed shut and her voice screamed out.

“This is the price of failing.” It was the last thing Mora heard before her body finally gave out and collapsed.

****

Murky smells filled her nostrils as her mind continued to grope in darkness. The cold danced along her skin, reminding her she was still naked. Lingering pain remained on her nose. Lifting her hands to her nose to test the skin, she found herself bound, barely able to lift the clasps. As she attempted to flex her fingers, she knew several were broken. Finally touching her nose, she felt the coldness of metal. A hoop had been pierced through her skin. Still tender to the touch, she left it alone.

Mora was still in Blackroot, it was a smell she would never forget. It smelled of death and decay, a smell she was familiar with but yet it had become alien to her. She knew Rhiya and all those that worshipped her were familiar with death and the power it gave. Never one for the religion itself, she always relied on her physical powers. It was something Joliel had taken from her.

Painfully she took an accounting of her body. Quickly she realized the horrid state she was in. Beyond her fingers, at least one leg was broken. The piercing pain when she attempted to breathe in deep notified her of the broken ribs beneath her skin. Still seeing blackness even though she was certain her eyes were open let her know she was terribly swollen or her eyes had been blinded. Carefully reaching up and touching the grossly spongy skin, Mora remained hopeful once the swelling dropped she would see again.

For hours she remained unmoving trying to catch some type of bearing. No sounds entered the room nor did anyone come with food or anything else. Feeling warmth she thought perhaps there was some sun suddenly upon her. Yet as a lingering pain stayed between her legs, she realized she had relieved herself. Behind all the other pain, she never noticed the urge, nor did she maintain control of her normal functions.

Wincing from the pain as she breathed deeply and sighed, she once again fell into a slumber. In her mind her last thought was a hope to simply pass to the Shadows, yet in a dream she felt, a pair of arms, strong and warm, gently lifted her.

“Go, ahead of me, you are not ready for what I must do here.” A voice whispered.

“She was tossed away like garbage. Who would do such a thing?” A second voice exclaimed struggling to keep the tone hushed. “That wasn’t a vision, it was a nightmare.”

“Now Tagor, go. She will succumb to the shadows soon.” Strange splashing sounds echoed softly away from them. Mora attempted to look at the sounds as she found herself lost in the dream.

“Easy now.” A voice soft and warm whispered in ear. “If you want to live you only need squeeze my hand. But living comes at a cost and a choice. All that you have known will have to end and you must renounce what you were. It is terrible for me to ask this of you now, but it must be your choice. If you understand squeeze my hand.”

With everything in her, she gave the order to her hand to squeeze. Every fiber of her being screamed out in agreement, yet her body refused to respond.

“Good. Easy Mora, I have you. I am sorry for your pain and the more you will endure for your choice.” The voice seemed to encase her pain holding it tight to her. “If you agree to live, you must squeeze my hand again and know tomorrow will begin the most difficult journey of your life.”

Again she told her voice to scream and her hand to squeeze beyond the pain wracking her body. Immediately somewhere deep within her she felt a terrible cold stretching out. Her pain deepened as a cold wind whipped at her skin. Over and over again she screamed out unable to escape the pain tearing her apart. She could feel the arms still around her but also felt as if she were moving. Unable to fight it any further, she collapsed with the sense of drowning in the winds around her.