Untitled

       

 

            The roaring and screaming from the great unwashed is nothing new to my ears. I do not resent commoners, only their ignorance of how I prefer to have my incidents and atrocities handled. I ended the song abruptly and pressed down on two of the organ's keys. The great stone doors to the Cathedral's interior flew open. Two commoners, a man and a woman, were creating a ruckus as they forced a man down the aisle like an unwilling bride. I turned with a heavy sigh, standing into a brisk walk to meet them halfway. The third with them a man dressed in the robes of my clerics. The commoners screaming obscenities in his holy pace.

            "Cease your uncouth words!" I demanded of them. Four words as clear as the decrees of a God. They stopped, keeping their worked hands on the cleric's blue garments. "By what reason have you come here?"

            Though I do not object to visitors in my cathedral, It is much preferred to come by invitation. I simply wished to compose today, but as the ruler of this nation, I have to tolerate those with no understanding of the politics. The woman yelled out, I cut her off with a gesture. "You will show respect in this holy place, I do not allow even Kaiyo to raise her voice under this roof." I reminded her.

            Composing herself, the woman said in a more civil voice "This cleric desecrated our dead!"

            "A serious accusation." I thought. Crossing my arms, my gauntlets of steel creaked in the silence of the nave. "You are physically assaulting an agent of the faith. Remove your hands immediately." I said firmly. They obeyed, the cleric standing. "You two, how did he do so?"

            "We were attacked by a hag, and this Cleric raised the dead into Skeletons!" the man spat out in anger. The words burned my ears. I knew he spoke the truth, for I simply cannot hear lies. A much more useful talent than the curse of being unable to speak lies. "He raised five from the dead, and left their bones crushed into splinters!!"

            I didn't bother to remind him where he was. Manners could be put aside for now. I looked at the accused caster. Though I do not object to extreme measures in cases of life or death, I have to make sure that I have an entire story. "You. Did you raise the dead as skeletons?"

            "Yes, Lady Lanford."

            "Did you defeat the hag?"

            "Yes, Lady Lanford."

            "Are you able to fight a hag with your own strength?"

            "I regret to say no, Lady Lanford."

            "Last question, did you truly destroy all of the skeletons you raised?"

            "Yes, Lady Lanford."

            The only sound was that of one of the few birds fluttering among the rafters high above. I pondered slightly, closing my eyes. I gave it seconds of thought before opening them, I looked to the accusers.

            "Regardless of his methods, he protected you as I would expect an agent of the faith to do so. If he had not been present, you would have been taken by the hag and used to breed more hags, and you would have been killed. I do thank you for bringing this to my attention, but this is not an issue I wish to press further. The will to survive is a natural human instinct. I cannot fault someone for being human. Begone."

            "My La-"

            "Begone." I said with a steeled voice. A voice like a blade though flesh. The two were shocked into silence, but they gave their bows, and left. I felt their disappointment. This would likely be the only time they would see their ruler, and even then I only graced them for scant minutes that was spent admonishing them for what were human faults. I whirled to the organ, walking with my usual gait towards the tower of metal. "They are but human, they have faults. I cannot judge humans as easily as I judge a Demon."

            A single note echoed through the cathedral, its low key masked by the sounds of the many exits denied, the heavy stone doors leading to the nave giving the percussive end of the requiem. I turned to the cleric, and advanced towards him. A tight grip on the handle of my black blade. "However, I know that you are granted powers by our God. You wish me to believe that you truly had the foresight to have such a means to raise corpses? Do not think me a fool, you orchestrated the hag's actions, false priest. This nave will be stained in your blood. You succeeded in your entry to this holy place, but the power of a necromancer is not one given by our God."

            My black blade level with the clawed beast's black heart, snarling with rage and killing intent, his ecstatic drools fueled by lust for blood ran through his fangs.

            The nave was stained red with the blood of a demon.