Legacy of Honor Chapter 1
The Hunted
By Silveran
The Kingdom of Ivalice.
A land that was once divided into seven ruling families, that was once divided into two over who would serve as regent, is a land now united under the rule of King Delita and Queen Ovelia.
Or was.
Several months after the Lion War, the queen was found dead at the ruins of Zeltennia’s church on the day of her birthday. This event rocked the recently war torn country, the delicate balance of power slightly shifting. After the funeral, the balance of power rocked dangerously.
The king completely disappeared soon after the funeral. No one knew of his whereabouts as if he vanished like a wraith.
The queen’s death and his disappearance had resulted in Ivalice’s turmoil. For the next four years the only ruling family, Lesalia, tried to maintain order in the chaotic kingdom that was Ivalice. But Prince Clemence wasn’t as strong as Goltana or as cunning as Larg and the disorder continued to grow until it was as the year before the Lion War broke out. On the fifth year, however, the balance began to equalize.
Olan Durai had made the mistake of presenting his report to Prince Clemence. Being a devout believer in the teachings of Glabados, the prince immediately brought the papers to the Church for scrutiny upon reading it.
The Church claimed the report to be full of lies, blasphemies. They sent Father Peter Batou, an old Pagan Examiner that was on the verge of retirement, to deal with the blasphemous Astrologist. Being the obedient servant that he was, Father Peter arrested and executed Olan the same way that all heretics were dealt with: being burned at the stake.
After the deed was done, High Priest Aaron Hex decided to meet with the elders of the Church to discuss on what to do with the report. This meeting was known as the Council of Murond.
At the Council, the elders unanimously decided that the report should be kept safe at the vault of Murond’s library. However, one argued that the report could be put to good use.
That one was Father Jaren Kazut.
The ambitious priest reasoned with the elders that though the author of the report was dead, there were still others that knew the truth. He suggested that they should use the report to hunt those ‘heretics’ and make an example of them.
The High Priest agreed along with the rest of the elders. Hex appointed Jaren the task of collecting the blasphemers and to deal with them as he sees fit. He also gave him command over the knights of the Church and over all priests and pagan examiners, nearly giving him the power of High Priest. Father Jaren Kazut was now a Cardinal in the eyes of the Church but to the rest of Ivalice, he was only a Holy Priest.
After being selected by the High Priest to lead the hunt, Jaren immediately left Murond and decided to base his operation at Lesalia, the capital of Ivalice. Prince Clemence, the acting ruler of the chaotic kingdom, humbly offered his position to Father Jaren who kindly refused but offered to advise the prince in political as well as in religious matters.
In essence, Prince Clemence was just a puppet ruler with the Church doing the real ruling.
The result?
The prince blindly following every ‘advice’ Jaren gave, eager to please the Church in any way possible.
And Jaren valued this very much for the prince was a big influence among the people and among the knight orders that were not under the Church. He was still in ‘charge’ after all. It was this fact that led Jaren to his first arrest and trial in a mere few days since his move to Lesalia.
It was also this fact that he was able to instigate new laws throughout Ivalice. No one was to leave the country without proper authorization from Prince Clemence. All cities and towns were to monitor people going in and out. No one escaped the scrutiny of the prince or, more likely, the Cardinal.
And if they somehow did, Jaren placed wanted posters in the soldier offices of every town and city in Ivalice. If his knights couldn’t find them, then perhaps mercenaries will. The price on the heads of the heretics would make even the simplest of peasants take up a sword.
Cardinal Jaren Kazut was confident that it would be only a matter of time before they were brought to him...
***
Lamps were lit within houses and shutters opened to the curious as the sleeping citizens of Goug Machine City were awakened by shouts of Shrine Knights searching the streets. Torches were held high casting eerie shadows among the buildings that lined the streets as the clanking of armor filled the night air.
Two figures were huddled in the corner of a condemned building, hidden behind some small rotting crates. A knight entered the building and the pair held their breath as they heard his footsteps echo among the cracked walls.
The duo huddled very close as they tried to remain hidden in the dark. They soon saw the light of the torch as the knight approached their hiding spot. The knight waved its torch around and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, deemed the building empty and left.
“Clear!” they heard the knight shout and the search moved on to another part of the city.
Both waited for a moment longer before one of them risked a peek over the crates. “It’s safe,” the individual announced as he knelt back down besides his companion. “They’re gone.” The person then brushed his blonde hair back as he sighed. “We have to get out of the city.”
“That’s quite a task,” his companion replied in a deep voice. “Especially with the condition my legs are in.”
“I’m not abandoning you this time, father!” the first person exclaimed. “You knew that it would be a matter of time before the Church found out our involvement with Ramza! Did you think we could continue hiding from the Church?”
“You’re right, Mustadio,” Besrodio, Mustadio’s father, sighed. “We have to escape.”
“But how...?” Mustadio whispered as he looked around his surroundings. “If only Worker 8 would listen to me, it would have provided a distraction for the knights while we escape,” he added angrily as he tried to think of a way out.
As the gears in his inventive mind whirled, Mustadio looked around. The building was empty save for only the rotting crates they were hiding behind. The stone walls were lined with so many cracks that it seemed the building would fall upon them any moment. The few windows present were boarded up with wooden planks, moonlight filtering in between the gaps. The situation looked hopeless.
Suddenly, the gears in his mind clicked when he saw something glint beneath some crates in a dark corner. Mustadio stood up and approached those crates. He then began removing the crates as silently as he could.
“What are you doing?” Besrodio asked curiously as he went to help his son.
“There’s something under here,” the Engineer replied, hefting a particularly large crate to the side. That only left one very large crate between him and his goal. He then went to the side of the crate and placed his weight against it, trying to push it away from his objective. He panted with the effort but it refused to budge. “Father, I could use a little help here,” he suggested after a few minutes.
“Yes, of course,” Besrodio obliged as he went to stand by his son. With both of their efforts, they managed to slide the crate away to reveal a hidden hatch. “Just as I expected!” Mustadio exclaimed softly as he knelt down and wipe the dirt and dust that had gathered on the hatch door. “A hatch that leads to the underground passageways!”
Hatches were located all over Goug Machine City. All led to various parts of the underground mines where mechanics such as the Bunanzas worked to restore the ‘past legacies’. But there were also some unknown or hidden hatches and it seemed to Mustadio that they found one of those particular hatches. He noted its condition.
Rust covered the hinges and when he pulled on the door, it wouldn’t budge just as he predicted. “This hatch has been unused for quite a long time,” the Engineer muttered as he took out his oil can and began applying it to the hinges. “This may take a while.”
Besrodio nodded. The crippled mechanic leaned against a wall as he sat down, listening to the squeaking sound of Mustadio’s oil can at work. After a few minutes, Besrodio began to doze off, the squeaking oil can like a high-pitched lullaby that lulled him to the dream world. He was about to enter that realm, his eyes drooping when suddenly, he heard some footsteps approaching followed by voices.
“Where did they go?!” someone demanded.
“I don’t know,” someone else replied. “We’ve already searched this place.”
“Then search it again!” another commanded. “Father Jaren will have our heads if we don’t find them! If we need to search the city ten times, then we’ll search the city ten times! But one thing is certain; we can’t let them escape! Now go!”
Besrodio heard some hurried footsteps go the opposite direction but there were a few that were coming in their direction. He turned to his son, who had also been listening to the conversation.
“Here,” Mustadio said as he handed the oil can to his father. “Finish oiling the hinges.” He then took out his Blast Gun. “I’ll try to slow them down.”
Besrodio grabbed his son’s arm as he was about to leave. “Be careful,” he said solemnly when his son turned to look at him.
Mustadio grinned and said, “Don’t worry, father. It’s those knights that should be careful.” With the same grin plastered on his face, Mustadio vanished into the streets.
The mechanic quickly hid in the alley next to the condemned building and carefully peeked to the side. He saw two Shrine Knights marching down the street, their torches blazing off their golden armor, making it look as if he saw the sun on a clear noonday.
And that meant that he could shoot from the darkness without exposing himself to the light of their torch.
Mustadio knelt down and took careful aim at one of the knights’ legs. When he was confident that he had a perfect shot, he fired...
...and smiled when the knight screamed in panic.
“My legs!” the knight shouted as he waved his arms around frantically, almost scorching his fellow’s face. “I can’t move my legs!”
“Hey! Watch where you’re waving that thing!“ the other knight snapped as he ducked his partner’s torch. “And what are you talking about? You were walking a minute ago.”
As one knight panicked and the other pondered the impossibility of it all, Mustadio snickered softly as he took aim at the other knight’s leg. He smirked as he pulled the trigger but cursed when he saw that he missed.
The knights suddenly stopped arguing when they heard the missed bullet ricochet off a wall. “Did you hear that?” the knight who was still mobile whispered.
“Yeah,” the other replied.
“Stay here,” the first knight instructed his partner as he drew out his sword.
“It‘s the only thing I can do,” the other knight replied derisively. “I can’t move, remember?”
But the first knight didn’t listen to his partner’s complaint as he moved cautiously down the street, waving his torch back and forth to dispel the surrounding shadows. “Who’s there?” he shouted, his voice echoing down the street.
Mustadio took aim once again at the approaching knight’s leg. Please don’t miss!, he prayed as he pulled the trigger.
The knight suddenly found himself glued to the ground. “Blast it! I can’t move!” he growled as he willed his legs to budge.
Mustadio, seeing that his work was done, holstered his gun and quickly joined his father back at the condemned building. “I’ve managed to stop their advance,” he told Besrodio, “but I don’t know how long it will last. Are you almost done, father?”
“Almost ,” Besrodio grunted as he continued to apply the oil to the rusted hinges. “There!” he exclaimed moments later when he had finished his task. The hatch silently opened when Besrodio opened it and he carefully made his way down the ladder.
Mustadio watched anxiously as his father climbed down then turned to look back at the door of the building when he heard one of the knights had regained control of his legs. “Hurry, father!” he whispered urgently before looking back. He saw the light of a torch glowing brighter and brighter as the knight approached closer and closer.
The mechanic looked back down at the hatch and saw that his father was far down enough that he could follow. He quickly jumped down into the hatch and closed it the moment the knight reached the building...
***
Rad dragged the body of a Shrine Knight he had managed to defeat quickly and quietly into a warehouse in Gariland’s industrial district. “You‘re a heavy fellow, aren‘t you?” he groaned as he continued to drag the body until he was behind some piled up bags full of grain. It was a good a spot as any, as long as he was well hidden from the entrance.
The recently dubbed knight began stripping the Shrine Knight of his armor and weapon. “I hope we’re the same size,” he stated as he began to strip himself of his armor and weapon. He then began strapping on the Shrine Knight’s armor.
“It’s a bit loose but I guess it’ll have to do,” Rad whispered, finishing his disguise by buckling the Shrine Knight’s sword to his hip. He was about to leave, but then looked back at the unconscious knight and his scattered armor and an idea began to form in his head that would surely make his escape a whole lot simpler.
Rad knelt down besides the unconscious knight and began dressing him in his armor. As he was finishing up his work, the knight began to stir. “Can’t have you waking up on me, yet,” the disguised knight said as he punched the Shrine Knight, knocking him out cold again.
After buckling on the sword, Rad carried the unconscious knight out of the warehouse and into the damp streets. Water between the causeways of the city threatened to overflow, flooding the roads, as rain continued to fall in abundance.
Rad didn’t mind the rain since it did help to slow his pursuit. He knew that regular knights would have waited for the weather to improve before they would resume a search but Shrine Knights were a different story. When it comes to doing the business of the Church, they were determined to carry it out.
Even through the roughest of storms.
The disguised fugitive sighed as he adjusted the weight of the unconscious knight. He then looked around for the torches that would indicate the location of one of the many search parties spread throughout Gariland. But instead, someone found him.
“Hey, you!” he heard someone call out to him through the thundering rain. “What have you got there?”
Rad turned to see a heavy built Shrine Knight approach him with a torch that threatened to fizzle out any moment. “I found the heretic, sir,” Rad stated, praying that the knight won‘t recognize him or the ‘heretic’. “He put up a good fight but I managed to subdue him.”
Rad then held his breath as the knight brought his torch closer to take a look. Fortunately, at that moment, the torch sputtered as it went out. “Curse this weather!” he heard the knight mutter.
Rad sighed softly in relief when the torch decided to die. I guess there is a god, after all, he thought with a smile. “What should I do with him?” he asked a bit more confidently.
There was a moment of silence, the rain clattering against their armor, lightning flashing, temporarily illuminating their surroundings before thunder crashed around them. “Give him to me,” the knight finally said. “You tell the others to call off the search. We need to bring the heretic immediately to Father Jaren for sentencing.”
Father Jaren, Rad thought in disgust as he handed the unconscious knight.
He remembered that name well for it was the priest who had placed a price
on his head as all his friends. He heard that the priest had managed to capture
one of his friends but, sadly, he did not know which one.
Rad forced the thoughts away as he nodded to the knight and said, “All right.”
He then ran off to the distant torches he saw in the residential area of Gariland Magic City. His armor clanked as he splashed through puddles that covered the streets. He ran blindly through the streets, breathing heavily as rain splashed into his eyes. His hair was plastered against his head and he was soaked, his drenched armor weighing him down, but that didn’t stop him from making his escape.
The disguised fugitive did not plan on calling off the search as he was ‘ordered’ to do. Instead, he ran straight for the exit, which was fortunately in the opposite direction of a nearby search party.
Rad swore he heard the plains calling out to him, promising sanctuary, as he neared the exit. He finally reached it and saw that chocobos were picketed by the gates. Unfortunately, they were guarded by one knight. Rad decided to kill him quickly.
He waved at the guard and uttered a greeting, which the other guard kindly returned with a smile and a wave of his hand. But that smile faded when Rad quickly ran him through with his sword. The man stared at him in shock then at the sword that was thrust into his abdomen.
“Forgive me,” Rad whispered as he pushed his sword deeper into the man’s gut. The guard finally fell over, his eyes glazing over before they closed.
Rad pushed the guard off his sword before going to the picketed chocobos. He went to the nearest chocobo and placed saddle and harness on it before mounting. He then cut the rope that bound it to the fence.
Soon the disguised fugitive was riding off into the stormy night unsure of where to hide from the Church....
***
Mustadio let out a sigh of relief when he finally reached the bottom of the ladder. “We’ll be safe here for the time being,” he declared as he took a couple of breaths to ease his pounding heart. He then looked at Besrodio and asked, “How are you doing, father?”
Besrodio sat on the ground, massaging his sore legs. “I’ll be fine once I’m rested,” he replied.
Mustadio nodded. “All right. I’ll take a look around. Maybe there’s something here that we could use to make your journey easier, father.” Besrodio nodded his assent and his son left.
The young blonde-haired mechanic looked around at the huge piles of junk that were scattered around the place. He hadn’t been in this section of the underground mines and so found many interesting things among the piles of junk such as a generator and a glass bulb that seemed to fit the description of a ‘light bulb’ he had read in one of the many books in his father’s study.
As much as he wanted to stay and restore the ‘past legacies’, he had yet to find something that would make their journey easier and faster through the mines to a certain hatch that led outside of the city‘s walls. That hatch was a long walk from where they were and knowing the condition his father’s legs were in, they would be making a lot of pit stops.
And time was against them.
They had to travel quickly before the knights found out about the underground mines and spread their search there. Mustadio began to rummage through the piles of junk, trying to find something that could benefit them. “No,” he muttered as he threw a mechanical arm over his shoulder. “No,” he muttered again, this time throwing a metal plate with several severed wires over his shoulder.
“No, no, no!” he cried out in frustration as he continued to throw useless items over his shoulder. “There has to be something useful down here! There has—”
He stopped his rant when he heard something deep within the mines. It was a faint bubbling sound. Mustadio stood up from his task, curious to find the source of that noise. Unfortunately, it was hard to pinpoint the exact location since it echoed off the walls of the mines seemingly coming from every direction. The mechanic, however, did manage to find the source of the sound.
He came upon a hidden wharf. The sound he heard was the water that flowed through the mines. “I never knew there was an underground river,” he said as he stooped by the water’s edge. “But what is its source?”
He scooped some water into his gloved hand and took a tentative sip, sputtering afterwards. “Salty!” he spat. He stood up and looked down the dark tunnel. “If the water is salty, then this river must come from the sea! And that means we can escape to the sea using this river. If only I could—”
His voice got caught in his throat when he spotted something afloat at the end of the pier he was standing on. Curious, he approached the floating object, the beating of his boots against the wooden pier echoing eerily around the cavern. Mustadio couldn’t believe his eyes once he saw what was the floating object.
It was a hovercraft, one of the ‘past legacies’! Mustadio admired its sleek design. The vessel was about ten feet across, which wasn’t too large since a hovercraft was built for speed. There was a huge propeller fixed to the back to thrust the vessel forward through the rough waves.
Mustadio touched the vessel reverently, afraid that it would break apart at the slightest movement. “I can’t believe it!” he whispered in awe as he stroked the hull. “A hovercraft...”
The vessel rocked slightly as he carefully boarded. “I wonder who restored it,” Mustadio whispered as he looked around the vessel.
According to history, the hovercraft was only used for water travel. It was not strong enough to go into deep waters but it was fast enough to travel along the shallows. It was also easier to explore sea caves that lined the rocky shores. “This would certainly make our escape easier,” Mustadio mused before going to the control panel at the front of the boat.
He studied the dashboard, taking note of the many gauges and switches. He dare not touch any of them until his father had a look at it. Satisfied with his find, Mustadio jumped off the vessel and ran to fetch his father. The sooner he returned with him, the sooner they could leave Goug.
The Engineer quickly maneuvered among the piles of metal, but stopped when something caught his eye. Intrigued, he slowly went to the pile that had grabbed his attention and knelt down, pushing away the various debris until he found his source of curiosity.
“Can it be...?” he asked himself as he carefully pulled out a large, thick stick with a fuse fixed at the end of it.
“It is!” he exclaimed excitedly after thoroughly examining the object. He carefully placed the item in his bag before rummaging through the pile to see if he could find any more of the object. After a few minutes of searching, he had found ten of the things.
“I’d better hurry,” he said to himself as he placed the items into his bag, realizing that he‘s delaying their escape, before hurrying to his father.
***
Besrodio waited anxiously for his son. “I hope he hasn’t decided to start tinkering with any of these broken machines,” he said to himself. He then looked up when he heard someone approaching, their steps heard in the crunch of twisted metal.
“Let’s go, father!” Mustadio exclaimed as he came around a bend. “I found something that should speed our escape.”
“It’s about time,” Besrodio said as his son helped him stand. “So, where is this ‘thing’ that could quicken our escape?”
“Back there,” Mustadio replied, pointing at the direction he had come from. “I think you’ll be amazed once you see it,” he added cryptically with a boyish grin.
“Oh, really?” Besrodio returned the grin. “Then please, lead the way.”
Mustadio nodded. Both father and son traversed through the mines, negotiating around the huge piles of metal, the graveyard of junk, as one would put it.
Besrodio looked at his surroundings. It seemed that this part of the mines hadn’t been explored by anyone. The heaps of scrap were in neat mounds and most scraps of metal were already covered in rust as much as the hatch they used to get down here. The older mechanic then heard something that he thought wasn’t possible in the mines.
The sound of running water.
“A river?” The question was intended for himself but Mustadio heard him and replied, “Yes. That’s where we’re headed.”
After a few moments, they had reached the hidden wharf. “This way, father,” Mustadio said as he walked along the wooden pier. Besrodio followed his son. “Well, here’s the ‘thing’ I found,” Mustadio grinned again as he waved his arm at the hovercraft. “We could use this to follow the river that leads to the sea. What do you think?”
Besrodio was rendered speechless as he slowly approached the craft. Like his son before him, he reverently touched the vessel. “A hovercraft...” he whispered as he looked over the hull. “But how did it get here? Who rebuilt it?”
Mustadio shrugged as he boarded the hovercraft. “Does it matter?” he asked as he went to the dash. “But whoever rebuilt it was kind enough to leave the keys in the ignition.”
“But even so,” Besrodio began as he slowly embarked the craft after his son, “do you think they were also kind enough to leave some fuel for the engine?”
“We’ll just have to find out,” his son replied as he turned the keys. He gave a yelp of triumph when the engine sputtered into life. He then looked at the gauge that measured the amount of fuel left. It showed that the tank was only half full but he hoped that would be enough to escape the city and to find a place to take refuge from the Church.
Mustadio turned back to see his father admiring the sleek vessel. “I know how much you want to study the vehicle, father,” Mustadio stated, “but we haven’t got the time.”
“I know,” Besrodio sighed. He then occupied the only seat on the vessel, next to his son standing in front of the helm. “Shall we be going?” he asked as he settled down.
Mustadio nodded and smiled. “Hold on tight!” He shifted into gear and the small vessel shot through the water.
The Engineer steered the hovercraft adeptly through the mines, sometimes shifting gears to negotiate tight turns and twists. After maneuvering through some tricky obstacles, both father and son saw the cave opening to the sea.
“We made it!” Mustadio whooped for joy as they shot through the cave opening like a bullet from the barrel of a gun.
“Yes, but where should we go now?” his father asked, dampening his son’s victorious mood. “We can’t keep traveling on this hovercraft. Our fuel supply is limited.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Mustadio sighed then smiled. “At least be glad that we escaped the city safely! Those knights will be searching the city for months!”
Besrodio couldn’t help but chuckle at that notion.
Mustadio laughed as well but knew that his father was right. Where are we to hide? What are we to do? The troubled Engineer continued to direct the hovercraft through the shallows as these thoughts raced through his mind.
Unlike the inventive Engineer though, two knight maidens had those questions answered.
Work as tavern wenches in the Golden Chocobo was not the employment Lavian Wayte and Alicia Lavitz had hoped to find in Yardow Fort City but they bore their disappointment stoically. They had hoped to find jobs as mercenaries but the soldier office were already full of potential candidates and would not accept more whether they were experienced or not. So, they had settled for serving ale and avoiding the many catcalls of zealous patrons, bearing this degradation of their status with as much optimism as possible. At least it was a place where they could remain inconspicuous and where they could gather information from all around Ivalice since the tavern attracted travelers across the continent. It was all they could do for now until they could find better jobs. Or better yet...
...they could clear their names and return to their old lives.
But both knew that could never be for the Church would forever hunt them, knowing that they knew the truth behind the war.
Just as Lady Agrias.
Both knights had been present during their lady’s trial, witnessing the crude haircut and the blows against her back. They knew how much Agrias had cherished her mane, brushing it every morning and braiding it afterwards. Her long hair was a symbol of her status as a lady knight in the service of the royal family. To have it cut was a disgrace, a blow against one’s honor.
And they had seen those blows against her honor as the knight lashed her like any common criminal.
But probably the most haunting scene they had witnessed that day was the separation of mother and child, a rift that could never be mended. And all because the child’s mother knew the truth.
To the two knights, it was a sad scene to watch. Again they knew how Agrias had adored her daughter, always showering her with affection. They had watched the relationship between mother and daughter grow. How could they not when they were personal knights of the Lady Agrias Oaks?
It was this very fact that led Agrias to tell them the identity of Ramia’s father. She had imparted them that secret, knowing that she could trust them. That was the last time they had spoken before she was arrested and tried.
Immediately after the trial, the two knights left Lesalia and traveled to Yardow Fort City. And found employment at the Golden Chocobo.
Alicia sighed as she sat in front of a mirror brushing her middle-length auburn hair while Lavian sat on a chair near the hearth reading a book. Alicia sighed again, placing the brush down on the dresser, her task done.
“Well, I’m off,” she announced with as much cheer as possible to Lavian. “Be back at the usual time.” Lavian nodded and the redhead left.
Fire crackled softly in the hearth as the only occupant of the small house quietly turned the page of her book. Lavian was fully engrossed in the story she was reading.
It told of a war between two nations and how a young prince ended it, bringing peace to the war torn land. Three years later, he was crowned king and had married the princess of the empire that was once his enemy. Two years after their marriage, a son was born to them and the king named him after his father who had perished in the war.
But tragedy struck after the prince‘s first birthday.
The prince was found gone one morning. It seemed that someone managed to sneak into the palace during the night and kidnap him. The king sent out a search party but with no results. After weeks of searching, the king gave up with a sad heart.
Little did he know though, his son was alive and well and in the care of his soon-to-be-enemy...
Would the king see his son again? What plans did the enemy have for the young prince?
These questions ran through Lavian’s mind as she shut the book. Those questions would have to be answered at a later date.
A cold draft unexpectedly flowed through the room causing the brunette to shiver slightly despite her close proximity to the hearth. She stood up and went to the only window in the common room but instead of shutting it, she decided to look up at the stars.
It was a clear night, the stars radiating their brilliance on a poorly lit city. The moon was a slender crescent like a sleepy eye that threatened to close completely. Lavian leaned against the windowsill, admiring the stars as she named some of the constellations in her mind.
But the thought of stars reminded her of the Astrologist, Olan Durai, who was burned at the stake for his crime of ‘heresy’. That thought then led back to her memory of the trial then to the edicts of Prince Clemence. Soon Lavian found herself wondering about the fate of the others. Were they alive or dead? Did they manage to escape the Church? If yes, where are they?
The brunette sighed as she pulled the shutters closed and locked them into place. Though the situation looked bleak, she hoped that they would see them again in the near future. For now, she and Alicia would have to make the best of their dire situation.
***
A month had passed since his first of—Jaren had hoped—many trials, but none came afterwards.
The Cardinal was very displeased. He had been very confident that the measures he took into capturing the heretics would have succeeded but somehow they had managed to elude him.
And to add to his displeasure, only half of the former Holy Knight’s sentence had been carried out. She had been sitting in her cell for the past month, mute, and only suffering from lack of food and water. Jaren had hoped to cart her to Fort Zeakden along with the rest of her companions but it seems she would be going alone. He would not delay her sentence any longer.
“Tomas,” the lanky priest called a robed knight, who was leaning against the hearth in his study.
The knight shifted his gaze from the flames burning in the fireplace to the priest that was sitting behind his desk. “Yes, Milord?” he replied.
“Get an escort of knights ready,” Jaren instructed the Divine Knight. “I want the prisoner carted to Fort Zeakden on the morrow.”
Tomas ducked his head and said, “As you wish, Milord.”
The Divine Knight then left the study, leaving the Cardinal to solve the
problem of achieving results of his ongoing search of the heretics.