Bear Territory, House Baikov, Road to Wall Visalia

  As the group continued its way in the morning, Elizabeth noticed that she liked traveling with her companions. Back home, while she knew young people her age, she never had any time to hang out with them, she was too busy helping her mother with the inn or studying at school where she kept to herself. Even on festival days when everyone got time off, she would spend her time working at the inn, festival days were big for hospitality professionals.

  Just about the only people she knew were the inn workers, the tenants, and the other hospitality professionals in town. Elizabeth had never even left the town’s boundaries, content to remain at home. Though while she was enjoying herself now, all things considered, she wanted to return to her family. Living on the road just was not for her even though she liked the companionship. As they continued, Carmen decided to start singing, lifting their spirits, and lightening their feet.

  “On the road, we go,

  When we will stop, I do not know

  We are ever, on a roll,

  On the road, we go.”

  The song continued like that for the rest of the morning travels, she had a soft and soothing voice that lifted their spirits, even if the song was a bit inane and repetitive. While Elizabeth was relaxing, Bridgette, Frederick, and Ragnar remained vigilant. As time went on, they came to an unruly crowd up ahead, an angry mob wielding pitchforks surrounding ten people suspended above the crowd in cages.

  Nine of them appeared to be human, while one appeared to be a female that had glowing red eyes, a mouth full of fangs, two curling horns, a barbed tail, clawed feet, and hands, and bat-like wings on her back. The Lust Infernal kept reaching out of her cage, trying to grab at the mob surrounding them, giving off eerie moans that made Elizabeth uncomfortable.

  Standing on top of a makeshift platform, was a man in a brown trench coat, with white and black owl imagery etched into it. Surrounding the platform were men dressed in brown owl-shaped armor, armed with shields and spears. A white star was painted onto the front of their shields. To the side was a plain-looking man in simple brown robes, tan skin, and large blue eyes just beneath his shaved head, he was holding a quarterstaff with an owl on top.

  Next to him was a surly male Halmen with pale skin and a piercing hawk-like face who looked like he did not want to be there. The man had the badge of the nine great heraldic beasts, a lion surrounded by an owl, moth, bear, wolf, viper, albatross, peacock, and mustang over his heart while the Halmen had nothing over his.

  “It appears like the Inquisitors of the Owl Duchies have been busy.” Sir Frederick whispered to the group, pointing to the man in the trench coat.

  “That’s an Inquisitor?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Yes, he is, and from the looks of it, he has a group of Templars of the Light with him. And an Ascetic as well, though I don’t know what the deal is with the Halmen.” Sir Frederick considered the crowd, and he saw another Oathsworn, this one a member of the Order of the Holy Flame, the Kingdom's premiere hunters of fiendish cults and exorcists of evil spirits. The Oathsworn had a troubled look on his face.

  The Owl Duchy was a unique case in the Kingdom of Lions, a sparsely populated mountainous region where no nobles ruled. Instead, the rule was given to the Church of the Nine Holy Founders. It was a religion that commoners were forbidden from worship though the ranks of the servants of the faith were filled with orphaned or discarded commoner children, brought in to serve.

  The Nine Ascetic Orders sought mastery over their minds, bodies, and spirits, studying the holy texts, communing with the divine, and honing their bodies. The Ascetics were the backbone of the faith and filled various advisory roles throughout the Kingdom. The Orders were led by the Grand Patriarch, Timothy Paul who oversaw the faith and served in the position of Archduke for the Owl Duchies.

  The members of the reclusive Seven Alchemical Associations practiced a form of arcane magic that was a fusion of traditional magic, science, and philosophy, steeped in symbolic rituals and hidden mysteries, led by the Ascendant Alchemos Nicodemus.

  The Five Templar Orders served as the first of the faith, being brought in to enforce church doctrine and protect the divine mandate of heaven. The leaders, known as the Arch Masters, symbolically took up the name of their founders upon their ascension to their positions, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Ariel who all followed the Grand Arch Master, Lucifer the Morningstar.

  At last, working in the shadows was the mysterious Owl Inquisition, whose agents, overseen by Director Asmodai, scoured the Kingdom of all practitioners of dangerous cults and foreign faiths not approved by the Grand Patriarch, and exterminated them. Ruthless and efficient, they sought to take the dark road no one else would even consider when it came to protecting the people of the Kingdom of Lions.

  The Inquisitor on the platform began to speak. “Here we have vermin of the lowest order, a cult of the foul Mistress of Corruption, Flareous, who have dedicated themselves to the vice of lust, even going so far as to infest the body of this poor girl with the seed of an Infernal of Lust. Sadly, we were too late, the Infernal has merged with its host and all attempts at exorcism were a failure.” The Holy Flame Oathsworn had a sad look on his face as the Inquisitor continued. “But the crime of these cultists will not go unpunished, they will pay for what they’ve done.” The Inquisitor turned to the prisoners in the cages. “For the high crimes of heresy, conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, and rape, how do you plead?”

  Possession was a common problem in the Kingdom of Lions, though in most cases it was an issue of animistic spirits from one of the nine spirit realms sneaking their way into the material world and finding a host. Either the spirit would come to an accord with its host and they would form a Merged, or the host's eccentric behavior would alert the experts in possession who would help exorcise the victim. Flareous and her cult were more insidious. Flareous was a selfish and indulgent goddess who delighted in corrupting and debasing all that was good in the world, a trait she passed onto those who fell under her power.

  In the service of Flareous are lesser divine entities known as Infernals. One type for each of the Seven Sinister Sins, and they need the aid of mortal cultists to reproduce. Cultists needed to spiritually implant the Infernal Egg in an unwary victim. The egg will hatch and begin to corrupt and twist its host, its body, mind, and spirit.

  Someone who had been infected by a Lust Infernal will start as being more licentious and active in their pursuit of physical intimacy, but over time both their minds, bodies, and spirits warped into that of a true Lust Infernal. The process could be reversed if the victim did not reach one hundred percent corruption. In the case of the young woman, it was too late, and her fate was to be sent to the Pit of Lust with the others of her kind, before being summoned back to the material world to serve a master or mistress.

  “Kill us if you wish, you only send us to the arms of our Goddess sooner than expected.” One of the women in the cages yelled at him.

  “Duly noted, Templars, you may dispose of the cultists, they are beyond redemption.” At that, the Templars went from cage to cage, skewering all the cultists with spears, leaving only the Lust Infernal left, staring at the Inquisitor with a covetous gaze. “Send this foul creature to the Pit that awaits it, we cannot save the soul of the innocent consumed, but we can protect the remaining innocents from its vile grip.”

  At that, the Holy Flame Oathsworn stepped forward and sent forth a stream of holy white fire from his hand that consumed the Lust Infernal and sent her screaming to her mistresses’ realm. Elizabeth had a horrified look on her face, and Sir Frederick tried to comfort her.

  “There was nothing else that could be done, once an Infernal Seed merges with its host, there is only one option left. It’s either that or let the creature run wild, which never ends well.”

  “I’ve heard stories, but it never seemed real to me until this,” Elizabeth said.

  “Elizabeth, you live in royal lands, the Inquisition and the Shadow Guard are out in force patrolling and safeguarding those lands from Vice Cults. I’m sure there are a few hidden ones, but none are big or influential enough to make any brazen moves, even if the rumors are true that the King has joined a Gluttony Cult.”

  “I’m sure the King is fine and that rumors of Vice Cults among the nobility are exaggerated.” Damian joined in, not out of genuine loyalty to the crown, but out of concern for his mother, as he was eighty percent sure his mother was either a part of a Pride or Lust Cult.

  The Ascetic and the Halmen walked on over to them and greeted them. “Greetings friends, my name is Brother Hezekiah, an Ascetic of the Order of the Honorable Lion, and this little cretin is Francesco, a reformed scoundrel who seeks penance upon Wall Visalia for his past crimes.”

  Francesco looked up at him, annoyed. “On our way down, we got sidetracked into helping the Inquisitor and his Templars in rooting out this cult. From the look of it, you are headed that way as well, would you mind if we joined you? I would like some company other than Brother Hezekiah and his lectures.”

  The Ascetics of the Owl Duchies were divided into Nine Ascetic Orders, each representing one of the Great Beasts and their associated virtue in the Church of the Nine Holy Founders. These are, of course, the Lion of Honor, the Wolf of Unity, the Bear of Duty, the Moth of Knowledge, the Owl of Wisdom, the Albatross of Diligence, the Peacock of Courtly Love, the Viper of Loyalty, and the Mustang of Tenacity. Following the virtue of their order, the Ascetics trained themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually to serve their faith and the nobility of the Kingdom of Lions.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Brother Hezekiah, I am Sir Frederick, Oathsworn of the Order Empyrean Blade. My companions are Damian Diotrephes, Madeline de Garnier, Ragnar Doth, Bridgette Sullivan, Ms. Carmen, and our displaced friend, Ms. Elizabeth, the victim of a vicious kidnapping attempt, who I intend to return home once I finish my business at Wall Visalia.”

  Francesco smiled wryly at Carmen and winked at her; Carmen blushed.

  Hezekiah eyed Ragnar, sizing him up, and began to take up a combat stance. “I was not aware that one of lowly barbarian stock had been let into our nation.”

  Seeing the Ascetic tense up and get into a battle stance, Ragnar began to growl an answer in kind.

  “Ragnar was banished from his clan and enslaved by one of our nobles. This man is under the protection of my Order, and I have been tasked with escorting him down to Wall Visalia so that he may be given a chance to find a place in our kingdom.” Sir Frederick stepped between them, wanting to avoid confrontation.

  Hezekiah went out of his battle stance and loosened up. “If an Oathsworn of the Empyrean Blade vouches for you, then I will give you no trouble. Though, I have even more reason to travel with your group to make sure this Ragnar fulfills his duty and proves that he is one of the good ones.”

  Ragnar continued to glare, but Sir Frederick was able to calm him down by placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “Don’t mind Hezekiah, he’s as blunt as a toddler’s rattle, all that book learning up in a secluded Asceticery rots one’s social skills after all.” Francesco chimed in. “You should hear some of the things he has said about me, villain, knave, scoundrel, thief, just the most hurtful things.”

  “You are all of those things, Francesco.” Brother Hezekiah had an annoyed tone to his voice.

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  “You see, he does not care about my feelings at all, he continues to insult me, even now when we are in far more civil company.”

  Carmen let out a light chuckle and began composing a story in her head about the uptight Ascetic and the charming Halmen scoundrel.

  The group began their travels once again, stopping a few hours later, with a strong sense of tension between Hezekiah and Ragnar. As they rested, Brother Hezekiah began to stare at Elizabeth, as if he noticed something.

  “Miss Elizabeth, there appears to be something peculiar about you.” Brother Hezekiah walked on over and placed his hand on her face and closed his eyes, Elizabeth was uncomfortable with this, but seeing that no one else was freaking out she decided to stay calm. After what seemed to be a few minutes, Hezekiah removed his hand from her face, and she opened her eyes. “You have a strong spirit, Miss Elizabeth, a strong spirit indeed. I suggest you be on guard, Ascetics such as myself are not the only ones who can peer into your soul, there are other unsavory beings out there who would love to get their hands on you, especially since your soul glows with such a brilliant golden light.”

  “Wait, I thought that human souls glowed white?” Madeline was confused by what Hezekiah was saying.

  “This woman is no ordinary human. Tell me Miss Elizabeth, what do you plan to do with your life?”

  “Once I get everything sorted out, Sir Frederick will take me back north and I will continue with my life, as an apprentice inn manager and I will take my mother’s place once she gets too old to continue with her work.” Elizabeth was getting annoyed with everyone commenting on her condition and trying to get her involved in a life she had zero interest in participating in.

  A look of disappointment came across Hezekiah’s face. “Such a waste, you could be so much more than an inn manager, you could accomplish great things and become one of the greatest heroes this Kingdom has seen since its founding.”

  “Perhaps, but I have no intention of doing so, my future is my choice, and no one will dictate my destiny to me. So, what if I have a strong spirit, magical aptitude, or a connection to the gods, I do not care. My future is helping my mother run our inn. There is no other future for me, I am the master of my destiny.”

  “I see,” Hezekiah was disappointed, “it’s a shame you feel that way. Though your fate may yet be decided by outside forces despite your wishes.”

  “I am an Arielan, we decide our fates and hope that our goddess has our back. No matter what storm comes my way, I know I will weather it.”

  “I see, you follow that indolent revolutionary, that counter of coins, that fickle mistress of fortune, that rustler of the natural order.” There was thinly veiled contempt in his voice.

  “Most hospitality industry professionals do, idiot, she is the patron of merchants and entrepreneurs after all, it’s not like Terra would ever serve as our patron, were not respectable enough for her. Ariela understands better than any other god or goddess the importance of free will and letting mortals choose their path.”

  To Elizabeth, a familiar voice came out of nowhere. “I believe you forgot the part of her doctrine where she teaches her followers to adjust their sails once the winds start blowing a certain way. As in, the winds are blowing you to me and my tutelage, so you should adjust your sails accordingly.” The group all turned in the direction of the voice, only to find a middle-aged man in a tattered old brown coat. Elizabeth recognized him as she filled with fury.

  “METHUSELAH”, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

  “Hello, my dear, glad to see that you are alright, I believe it’s time that we had a little chat.”

  “Is this the man who tried to sell you into slavery?” Sir Frederick asked.

  Methuselah has a puzzled look on their face. “I did no such thing; I was trying to take her by force back to my tower to be my apprentice, though now that I’ve said that out loud, I can see how some people could take exception to that.” Methuselah got a thoughtful look on their face as those around them prepared for battle.

  “Methuselah, you are a dishonorable, vile fiend, I will see to it that you threaten the innocent no more.” Sir Frederick charged Methuselah with his sword glowing bright gold. Methuselah just pointed their finger at him and shot a blue beam, forcing Frederick’s armor to lock in place as he fell over. Bridgette got ready to shoot them with her bow, but with just a casual wave of their hand, she was engulfed in a green light, with her clothes falling to the ground.

  A red-furred rabbit pushed its way out of the clothes, looking around terrified. Ragnar began to charge them, bellowing a furious and primal war cry, Methuselah just smiled as they sidestepped Ragnar’s charge and slapped him on the side, engulfing him in a pink flash. Ragnar collapsed to the ground, now female, trying to keep her now bare chest hidden. In a chaotic whirl, his pants moved up the rest of his body and became a ballerina outfit and he found himself trapped, unable to talk or move on his own, in a giant music box.

  This impressive feat of magic left Methuselah open to an attack from Hezekiah, who moved and quickly connected his fist with Methuselah’s jaw, attempting to get them in an uppercut. Much to Hezekiah’s shock and horror, Methuselah was unbudged and unfazed by his attack. Now annoyed, Methuselah flicked him in the head, turning him into a statue of amber.

  Moving on, they went on their way over to Elizabeth and her four remaining defenders. Damian was desperately searching through his book to find a spell strong enough to defeat Methuselah while Madeline did her best to shield Elizabeth and the Halmens. With a casual wave of their hand, Madeline’s robes began to grow and envelop her, trapping her inside a tight cocoon that she could not escape from no matter how much she struggled. While for Damien, he shouted in pain as he dropped his book, which began to suck him in. Damian grabbed at the ground as the book devoured him. As it closed trapping him inside it, it placed his face on the cover.

  Francesco and Carmen made one last desperate stand, with Francesco drawing his knives and Carmen getting ready to sing. In the blink of an eye, Methuselah was upon them. A strange purplish glow enveloped the two as they became like clay in his hands. First, they wiped away their mouths, fused their hands and feet, and then twisted them about into one giant writhing Halmen knot. Smiling at their handiwork, Methuselah composed themself and began to walk toward Elizabeth, who fell to the ground shaking in fear.

  “My dear, there is no reason for you to fear me, I just want to talk.”

  “Look what you did to them, you monster.” Elizabeth was barely able to keep herself composed.

  Bemused, Methuselah just continued. “It’s not like I killed them, even though I had every right to since they attacked me first. Your companions will all be returned to normal once we are done with our chat, or not, I may just keep them like this depending on your cooperation.”

  “This is a heavily traveled road; don’t you think anyone will notice this mess?”

  “I placed us within a pocket dimension of mine, we should be fine, no disturbances.”

  Out of pure frustration, Elizabeth cried “Damn you”, she instinctively drew upon her natural power, and remembering her conversation with Damian, she launched a forceful stream of honey-colored liquid at Methuselah, sending them flying until he crashed hard against an invisible barrier. Methuselah collapsed to the ground and began coughing up blood.

  “You pack quite a punch Elizabeth; such a shame you have no control over your power. And is this mead? Did you hit me with a high-pressure stream of mead? Where would you even get the idea for something like that?” Methuselah wiped the blood from their mouth, stood back up, and smiled. “Though I suppose it is my fault, I shouldn’t have let my guard down around you. I promise it won’t happen again.” Methuselah teleported themself right next to her, locking her arms in place with his magic.

  “WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?” Elizabeth shouted at him.

  “Because you cannot run from your destiny, I am only trying to help you, to give you the guidance that I never received from the previous Guardian, believe me, I will be saving you from a lot of headaches if you would just listen to me.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, I have no intention of becoming Guardian, I just want to get on with my life in peace.”

  “It isn’t your choice, you were chosen, destined for this role even before your birth. In the Great Empyrean, your soul was forged, and your body molded for a single purpose, to serve as my replacement, now that I am so near retirement, I would appreciate it if you were just a little bit more cooperative. Elizabeth you have so much to learn, and my time is running out.”

  “But I don’t want to go with you, I want to go home to my family.”

  “Normally I would not go this far, but if your family matters so much to you, they can come with us. It will lead to more problems later, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

  “My answer is still no.”

  “Why are you being so stubborn about this, why can’t you understand that it is your destiny.”

  “I decide my destiny, it’s my choice.”

  “You don’t get a choice, NONE OF US GOT A CHOICE.” Some deep resentments Methuselah kept buried deep inside them came out more forcefully than they would have wanted.

  “Why don’t we, do we not have free will to choose our destiny.”

  “Yes, we have free will, you can reject the call, but that won’t stop me from exercising my free will to continue to attempt to convince you, and it won’t stop the devastating consequence of your rejection. Free will does not give you a blank check to do whatever you want. Sooner or later, you will realize that you made a mistake, but I may not be around to help you anymore. It should sink in when you find that you do not age, unlike everyone around you. You can choose to appear middle-aged like me, but this form is only a lie, a shape that matches my weary spirit.”

  “I will take my chances, as long as it’s my choice, I will be content.”

  “Elizabeth, ruin is coming to this kingdom, and there is nothing you can do to save it, everyone you care for will die, why not come with me, and leave this place behind.”

  “I won’t leave my friends and family behind so that they can die without me, if they die, I die with them.”

  “Die you may, but trust me, it won’t be permanent. You will be sent back to continue your work.”

  “I won’t stay dead if I’m killed?” Elizabeth was shocked at this.

  “The Guardians are the only ones who can come resurrect themselves, though regeneration does take ten days.”

  “If you have no fear of death, why don’t you intervene, and help save this nation if it is on the verge of ruin?”

  “Because it is time for this nation to die, it has lasted for a thousand years, most don’t make it that long. It is consumed from the inside out by decadence, corruption, incompetence, and infighting. It is time to burn away the old rotten undergrowth to make way for a new forest. I will not have to intervene, someone else will be doing the work for me, which is always nice when that happens.”

  “How can you be so callous?”

  “Do this job as long as I have, and you will be saying the same thing by the end of your tenure.”

  “All the more reason for me not to go with you.”

  “Do you even realize what I am trying to do for you, I am trying to help you. The previous guardian never even bothered to contact me before she passed away.” The bitterness in his voice got worse. “I am trying to save you from all the painful lessons I had to learn on my own. Help me help you.”

  “You should go now, after returning my friends to normal.”

  “Very well, but I sincerely hope that you do not regret this decision. But if you do change your mind, I have something for you.” Methuselah reached into their robes and pulled out an amulet with a stylized M on it. “When you wish to see me again, shatter this amulet, and I will come for you.” Methuselah handed her the amulet, and she deposited it into one of her pockets. “Stay well Elizabeth, I'm sure that you will contact me soon.”

  “And I sincerely hope that I never see you again.” Elizabeth could not hide the contempt in her voice.

  Looking disappointed, Methuselah snapped their fingers and disappeared in a flash of light. When Elizabeth was able to see again, she saw that everyone was back to normal, and looking right at her.

  “I take it you guys heard that conversation.”

  “Most of it,” Sir Frederick said, “this Methuselah is an obvious lunatic who needs serious help.” Sir Frederick was shaken by the things he heard.

  “What he needs is a purifying fire, the Inquisitor and the Templars shouldn’t have gone too far north, should we head back to the town and seek their aid?” Hezekiah asked.

  “I don’t think that will be necessary, we can tell the Baikov when we reach Wall Visalia. Madmen he may be his predictions of doom for our Kingdom do trouble me. The Baikov must be informed as soon as possible.” Madeline said.

  With that, Elizabeth and her companions continued their way, while a concealed Methuselah watched them head off.

  “That girl is going to put herself through a lot of pain before she learns,” Methuselah said to themself.

  Chroniclers Notes

  A Collection of Children’s Songs/ Of Beasts and Virtues

  The Lion stands for Honor and reminds us of our call.

  The Wolf stands for Unity, so that we may never fall.

  The Bear stands for Duty, to do what must be done.

  The Moth stands for Knowledge, for learning, and for fun.

  The Owl stands for Wisdom, guiding us in our faith.

  The Albatross stands for Diligence, so we shall not be a waif.

  The Peacock stands for Love, that our bloodlines may be true.

  The Viper stands for Loyalty, so treachery shall never become you.

  The Mustang stands for Tenacity, the will shall never break.

  Remember this, my children, for our Kingdom is at stake.

  The Templars Cry

  Arise the Templars of Light, shine forth your truth.

  Arise the Templars of Patience, guide the wayward youth.

  Arise the Templars of Fury, strike down the unfaithful.

  Arise the Templars of Fire, to give comfort to the grateful.

  And Arise the Templars of Purity, to cleanse us of our doubts.

  The Alchemists Song

  The Order of Aurum seeks glory everlasting.

  The Order of Argentum seeks healing not blasting.

  The Order of Ferrum seeks to aid those in battle.

  The Order of Plumbum transforms us like cattle.

  The Order of Stannum expands our minds and understanding.

  The Order of Aeris gives us appearances that are commanding.

  The Order of Hydrargyrum aids us in our travels.

  The Mysteries of the Universe, the Seven Seers unravels.

  The Inquisitor’s Warning.

  Do not stray my dear child, for we are always watching.

  There are monsters in the dark, who are always gawking.

  We cross the dark roads, to save you from the sinister nodes.

  But if you stray from the path, you shall know our wrath.

  Rest easy child, and do not watch for the watchmen.