Author's Intro |
Eternal Darkness Disclaimer |
The following story is based on Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. All characters, with the exception of two are from the game by Silicon Knights and Nintendo. The characters Richard Cale and Yvette Cale are characters from my own stories.
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Eternal Darkness - The Story
Prior Chapters |
Previous Chapter | Home Is Where The Heart Is | (Audio) |
Chapter 14: The Corrupted Cathedral (Audio)
Paul Luther had traveled a long way to get to Amiens. One of his fellow Franciscan monks, Andrew, had come to the town earlier, to see the hand of St. Jude. He had also wanted to see the same relic. He figured he would not run into Brother Andrew, since it had been a while since any of the monks had heard from him. It was also nightfall, and he needed rest before doing anything else.
With that thought first in his mind, he went straight to the Oublie Cathedral. He remembered hearing that many centuries ago, it was much smaller. Its look now was a sign of how well God’s wealth allowed them to improve the house of worship. He knocked on the door, understanding why the doors were closed. The Inquisition was in town, and the meant heretics had to beware.
Soon, the doors were opened, and he was ushered inside. He told the monk his name, and watched as the monk stepped into the main part of the cathedral. Soon, the monk returned with a monk dressed in Inquisition robes. He watched as the monk looked at him and smiled. “Welcome to Oublie Cathedral, Brother Luther. I am Phillipe Augustine. How can our sacred order help our Franciscan brethren?”
Paul nodded and said, “I do not wish to impose on you, Excellency. All I request is lodging for the night, and a chance to see the hand of St. Jude.” It was the truth, and he felt it would be the least inconvenient.
He watched as Augustine nodded. “Many have traveled far to see the sacred relic. However, it would be best to stay quiet during your stay. The Inquisition is hear for a reason. There is a large amount of deviancy in this town.”
Paul nodded and said, “I wish you luck in your search.” He stopped speaking when Augustine gave him a stern look. Something scared him about that look. He then said, “I think I’ll just go into the cathedral and meditate for a moment.” He quickly left the sight of Augustine, and entered the main cathedral.
As he walked up the main aisle, he wondered why the look he had gotten from Augustine had scared him. Augustine was a man of the cloth. There was nothing unholy about the man. He then glanced to his left as he neared the alter, and stopped in fright. In one of the pews was a dead body. It looked like something had tore the man’s chest apart.
It was a horrifying and most unholy sight. He also was aware that Augustine should know about it. He quickly shouted, “Guards. Help. Come quickly.”
He was almost startled by how fast Augustine showed up with two other monks. “What heresy is this?” He then saw Phillipe Augustine look right at him. “Is this our first suspect? Make sure he doesn’t leave the Cathedral. We will need to check the body for signs of Deviltry.” He knew last two statements were for the other monks, and then he was ushered by them out of the main part of the Cathedral, and into the room off the right side of the annex.
When they had closed and locked the door, Paul started to pace. This whole day had turned into a nightmare. He had only just arrived at Amiens, and he was being accused of heresy. As he paced, he glanced a the one image in the room, and was stunned at image he saw. It was a monk was holding a meditation staff in one hand. The only odd thing about the image was that the meditation rod had an emerald in it. He glanced at his own, and realized why the image was odd. His rod had no emerald in it. He got close to the image, and realized the gem wasn’t part of the picture, but a real emerald. He touched it gently, but was surprised when it fell out of the picture, and into his hands.
As soon as the gem was in his hand, he heard the door unlock. He turned to see another monk had entered the room. When the monk had closed the door, Paul feared the worst. In a scared voice, he looked at the monk, and said, “Are you here to pass sentence on me?”
He was surprised when the man shook his head and said, “No, I’m here to free you. You aren’t safe here. Many strange things are happening here now. I don’t want you to end up like the others.”
Paul found this news very troubling. He wanted to ask what was happening, but the man continued, “The body you found was that of Brother Andrew. He was killed to protect a secret. It’s not safe to talk about this here. I’m the custodian here, and we can talk about this in the bell tower.”
He then looked at the man and said, “Why are you releasing me then?” He realized that if he left, he would be hunted down by the Inquisition. He then said, “If I try to leave here, they will hunt me down. Brother Augustine is convinced I killed him.”
He watched as the Custodian shook his head and said, “Brother Andrew had been making several inquiries about the relic that is here. I believe in his inquiries, he came across the cathedral’s secret. That may be what cost him his life. I know Brother Andrew was doing some investigating in the old tower. I may have a key. If you truly wish to learn about Andrew’s fate, then meet me in the tower. But be careful, we can not hide from the Deviltry that I fear has invaded this hallowed ground for long.” He then watched as the Custodian left the room.
For a moment, he wondered about this. The Custodian might be the only person that believed the truth. He also knew that if the truth got out, the church would take another look at the Inquisition. He knew what he had to do. He had to find out why Andrew was murdered. He then started to open the door, but froze in fright as the world appeared to change around him. The building had contorted around him, and looked like a hellish mockery of the cathedral. He then felt his fear leave him, when he noticed a woman bathed in light. He was sure that what ever hell he had entered, he was being protected by the Virgin Mary.
Yvette Cale watched as Paul Luther appeared in the surreal hall. She knew he might be scared, or even terrified. How ever, she had not expected the words out of his mouth when he first saw her. “Are you the Virgin Mary?”
She gently shook he head, and then said, “No, but I’m here to help in some way.” She had to think of a reason to assure him that even though it looked evil, the only way to stop what was happening to him was to use the dark tools against it. She then said, “I know you are being pursued by the Inquisition, but the Inquisition is being led by a heretic.”
She watched as he looked at her, and finally said, “Does God already know of this? Is that how you know?”
She wanted to say yes, but knew that wasn’t enough. Soon, what she needed to say hit her. “God does know, and He knows that the proof had been discovered by Andrew. However, the Lord also knows that you may have to use the heretics tools to stop them.”
Yvette then watched as Paul looked around the room, and saw him focus on each of the statues that were in the room. Soon, she heard him say, “Did the heretics murder these people as well?”
She nodded, but then pointed at the statue of Anthony. “Yes, however, they used some dark magic on Anthony.” She watched as Paul looked at the statue. “He was cursed to constantly rot, but never die. You may encounter him, because he was in the cathedral many years ago. If you find him, try to put his soul to rest.”
She smiled as he nodded and said, “I shall. I also pledge to leave this devilry once I have gathered the evidence I seek. I just hope the Lord forgives me for using the Devil’s tools.”
Yvette nodded and said, “He will. God knows you mean to do the right thing. He’ll even forgive you for using the book.” She then motioned towards the Tome which sat in the skull hand alter. As Paul neared it, she saw him bless himself. Just before he touched, she said, “Brother Paul, there is one more thing you must know.”
She waited until he turned to face her. She could see he was puzzled that she knew his name, but the belief that she was a messenger from God over shadowed the fear. He then said, “What else need I know?”
She put her hands together in front of her and said, “In time, another fighter of the heretics will arrive. Do not be alarmed by his appearance. He will be well versed in how to fight them.” She watched as he nodded in understanding, and then grabbed the Tome of Eternal Darkness. As he disappeared from sight, and she returned to the present, she hoped that Paul’s chapter would end like her father’s did.
Paul Luther was thankful when he was back in the small room, but a little scared. He placed the book in his robes, determined that he would only use it if he had to. Besides, he could really explain how it came into his hands. He quietly opened the door, and left the small room. He didn’t know if any of Augustine’s men were around, and kept an eye on the door to the main cathedral. He quickly crossed the annex, and climbed the steps that lead to the back balcony. He was thankful that the stairway was deserted, but it was also unnerving.
When he opened the door to the balcony, he was stunned to see a corpse lying on the floor. He fought the instinct to call for the guards, but found he was now fighting the instinct to scream. The corpse started to get up, as if powered by the Devil. He was almost frozen in fear as the creature started to shuffle towards him. He knew he couldn’t run straight at it, so he headed to the front of the balcony.
As he ran to the door to the bell tower, he glanced down at the main part, and saw that no one walked the church. That sight made the whole situation seem more unreal. He then continued his path, and quickly entered the bell tower.
Once he was in the door, he quickly climbed the steps which held the bell tower. As he climbed, he wondered how the Custodian would get past the corpse. He figured the man had done it before, but he also wondered if the corpse had been there in the past. When he was finally at the top of the steps, he also wondered if anyone would think his ringing the bell as a suspicious action. He then gripped the rope, deciding the risk had to be taken. He pulled the rope, and heard the sound of the bell ringing.
He waited for what seemed an eternity until the bell stopped ringing. Soon, he heard the door open and close, and the footsteps of someone coming up the steps. He was thankful when he saw it was the Custodian. When the Custodian reached the bell tower, he heard the man say, “Brother Luther. It’s good you arrived here now. As you can tell, dread things have appeared here. Shambling corpses, and even worse are in this house of God.”
Paul nodded and said, “Darkness is at work here, and under the very noses of the Inquisition.” He suspected more, but he didn’t need to tell the Custodian his reasons. If he did state them, he might lose the trust the Custodian was putting in him.
He watched as the Custodian shook his head. “I fear it is even worse than that. Brother Andrew knew something was going on, and I fear it had gotten him killed. Brother Paul, I feel you may be able to finish the investigation that Andrew started. Here is the key to the old tower. It has been locked up since the Inquisition arrived.” He took the key as the Custodian continued. “If you do find the source of the corruption, return here, and I will help however I can.” It was then Paul realized that the Custodian was nervous about something.
He didn’t want to pry, fearing that if he lingered too long, one of Augustine’s men would find him. He then went down the steps and back onto the rear balcony. Again, he ran past the walking corpse, and entered the stairway to the main floor.
He was thankful when he saw none of the other monks were in the annex. That most likely meant that they didn’t know he wasn’t in the room. He then moved toward the door to the main part of the cathedral. This whole situation felt awkward to him. He had never been afraid to move around a church before. Of course, he had never been accused of murder before.
He then reentered the main cathedral, and moved to the shadows on the left side. He remembered not seeing anyone in the main part. He then continued along the shadows towards the front of the church. He slowly passed the spot where he saw Brother Andrew dead, and was stunned to see no sign that a body had ever been there. He wondered where the Inquisition had taken it, and why the area was so clean so soon.
When he reached the front, Paul decided to move off to the left. He knew the old tower was off to the right, but he felt he would need some sort of weaponry to protect himself. He started towards the door on the left hand side of the church, passing a few torches on the wall. Something told him he’d need light, and he picked up one of the torches. He was stunned when it suddenly went out. He started to panic. Someone might have noticed the change in lighting. He started to hold it out, and went to relight it, when it lit on it’s own. He half wanted to drop the torch then. It had to be more of the Devil’s work. He then remembered what the woman had said. Maybe this torch will come in handy. He then walked to the door and entered it.
He looked around the room, and saw many robes hanging on hooks in the room. He realized that this room must be where all the monks keep their robes. He also noticed a chest in a corner of the room. When he saw it, he started to wonder. Monks, like himself, had very little material possessions. He opened the chest, and was surprised to see a crossbow in it. It was a weapon, but he knew it might not be the best weapon. It could only fire one bolt at a time, and not good if many monks attacked him. He then checked the robes, and found a small key in one of the pockets. He had seen keys like this one. They were used to unlock small drawers in the pulpit’s podium.
He quickly left the cloak room, and ran over to the alter. He wanted to move fast, and avoid any chance encounters. When he reached the podium, he glanced over at the alter, and was unnerved again by what he saw. The alter was bare. If a religious relic, like the Hand of St. Jude, was here, why was the alter bare? He then unlocked the podium drawer, and opened it. He was surprised to find a page in there. As he looked over it, he realized he had found a page of Andrew’s journal. As he read it, he realized that Andrew must have thought that Amiens was free of witchcraft.
He paused for a moment when he heard a sound. He quickly ducked behind the alter, and listened as he heard two people approached. He then heard one of them say, “Augustine will be upset to know that the Franciscan has escaped. However, I’m wondering if he did do it.”
He then heard another voice say, “There is no doubt about the crime. If he wasn’t guilty, then why did he run. However, Brother Augustine thinks that the fugitive had somehow gotten in the old tower. He wants you to check it out.” He stayed out of sight as he heard them go to the door, and heard it open and close. He then heard the second voice as it said, “When you come out, you will be enlightened.” When he heard the voice say that, he heard an odd hiss in the voice. He hoped he was out of sight of the far door, and then bolted for the stairs behind the alter.
As he ran down the steps, he could have sworn he heard someone trying to follow him. He quickly ran down a hall at the bottom of the steps, and entered a door. He closed it, and leaned against it as he heard someone come down the steps. He listened as his pursuer ran past the area, and he heard another door slam.
Paul held his breath for a moment, fearing the strange monk would return. When he was sure the danger had passed, he looked around the room. He quickly realized that he must have run into the study of one of the older monks. As he approached the desk in the room, he noticed a book on it. He opened the book to a bookmarked page, and realized what he was looking at. It was a book on holy reliquaries, and how to recognize fakes. He was surprised to discover that the bookmarked page discussed the Hand of St. Jude as a fake. He closed the book, and shuddered. How could the Inquisition ignore that? He wondered if the church was even aware of the fraud being perpetrated here.
He then went to leave the room, and stopped, seeing a quiver full of crossbow bolts. He picked it up, and then left the room. He then went down the hall he was sure the monk went down. He didn’t want to run the chance of encountering the monk, but he also wanted to know how much time he might have left until the monk returned. He walked over to the door, and listened. He heard the sounds of something moving, but is sounded like small animals. He then looked around the room, making note of the huge bellows that powered the church’s organ. Lying near the huge bellows were more crossbow bolts. He picked them up, and then saw a mace on the wall. He quickly grabbed it, and ran back up the steps. He was sure the mace might help him in his investigation. He then ran over to the door, and unlocked it.
He swiftly entered the old tower, and closed the door. He then froze as he saw a horrifying sight. The monk he had heard earlier was being attacked by a demon. He watched in horror as the demon dug it’s way into the man’s eyes. When the horrifying scene was done, he saw the possessed man look at him, with a look of hatred in his eyes. As the man approached, Paul held up the mace and said, “I’ll strike if I have to.” He ducked back as the monk swung at him, and he responded by swinging his mace. He was sickened when he saw it strike the man’s face, but also thankful that the man had stepped back.
He then watched in horror as the man’s body exploded, and he fully got a glimpse of the demon. It was skinny with a skull head, and two blades for arms. He then noticed the demon was looking right at him, and then jumped. He quickly stepped to the side, and swung his mace again. He heard the blow strike the creature’s skull, and noticed that the creature seemed to sprawl out on the floor. He quickly brought the mace down on the creatures skull. When he was sure the creature was dead, he kneeled with his meditation rod, and said a prayer.
When he was done, he got up and walked over to the old alter, and saw a strange scroll on it. He picked up the odd scroll, and saw some strange words on it. As he looked at it, he saw it disappear in a flash of yellow light. Something in him told him to pull out the book, and he then saw the scroll had been joined to the book. He reexamined the page, and saw it was something about protection of self. As he slowly closed the book, he almost froze as a strange his echoed down from the floor above him. He had heard the demon make the same sound, and decided if he would heed the woman’s words, it would be now.
Paul hoped the Lord would forgive him for using the darkness’ tool. He then cast the Shield spell, and watched as three small balls of light encircled him. He then started up the stairs. He moved up them cautiously, hoping that if another demon was in the old balcony, that he wouldn’t alert it. When he reached the top of the stairs, he looked around and listened for the hiss of the demon. He was almost startled when the demon leapt at him, but was relieved when one of the orbs hit the creature and sent it to the floor. He took that opportunity to slam his mace into the demon’s head. He was glad when the blow killed the creature, and then watched as it disappeared.
He listened for a moment, and when he was sure no other creatures where there, he started to check all the shelves. As he searched, he found an odd scrap of sheet music, and another page of Andrew’s journal. As he read over it, he realized that Andrew had started to suspect that something was not right. He checked the other shelves and then headed down the steps. As he headed down the steps, he froze when he heard a loud groaning sound. He then remembered a door which was under steps. He quickly got to the bottom of the steps, and headed over to the door.
He opened it and entered the small dark room. Almost instantly, the torch he had lit up, and he saw a corpse lying on the floor. He noticed two things about the corpse. The first was that its one eye appeared to be a ruby. The second was that the corpse was starting to get up. He realized the approaching danger as the corpse said in a hoarse voice, “Charlemagne.” He started to back away from the corpse as it raised a sword. He was stunned when he saw the corpse stopped and said, “Richard?”
Paul wanted to say something, but was surprised when the corpse just said, “You mean the man before me is trying to fight Pious as well. Watch over him, for a lot has changed since this foul curse started.” He then watched as the corpse lowered its sword, and stared right at him. He felt more unnerved as it stared at him with the red jewel eye. He was then relieved when the corpse said, “My name is Anthony, and you are being watched over by a friend. He tried to help me long ago, but the darkness won. I ask you now to do two things. The most important is to stop the darkness. My friend says he will help you when he can, but until he can help, you must be strong.”
He was stunned by this statement, but started to wonder about the second request. He looked at the corpse, and heard it scream in pain as a yellow energy went through its body. He started to feel sorry for the thing, and asked, “What is the second item?”
He was relieved and troubled when the corpse said, “I have been like this for centuries. Kill me, and let my soul rest.” He then saw the corpse drop to its knees, as if praying. Inside, he felt a conflict, but he knew what he had to do. He slammed the mace down on the head of the corpse and watched as it collapsed. He then knelt over it and prayed for the being’s soul. When he was done, he picked up the ruby that had been the corpse’s eye, and the sword it had been holding.
When he left the room, he remembered the sheet of music that he had found. He made his way over to the organ, making sure no one was coming. He then placed the small sheet of music on the organ and played out the notes on it. The second the last note was played, he heard something open. He glanced across the area, and saw a cabinet near the pulpit had opened. He walked over to it, and picked up a gold plate with a pentagon with five circles at the points. As he picked it up, it disappeared with a flash of yellow light. He had a feeling what happened to it, since the same thing happened to the scroll.
He then remembered the door in the basement. He returned to the basement, only stopping in the room the door was in. Now that he had the sword, he no longer needed the mace. He placed it back on the wall and opened the door. As he entered, he realized that the room was the wine cellar. He also realized there were two little demons walking around the room. He realized they were almost the size of a small dog. He pulled out the crossbow, and aimed it at one of the creatures. As he watched them move, he realized that they didn’t see him. He then fired the crossbow, and watched as the bolt sunk into the one creature. He then reloaded and shot the other creature.
When the other creature died, he started to look around the room. Something told him that there was more to the room. He tapped on each cask of wine, and stopped when one sounded hollow. He reached down to the spigot on the cask and turned it. When it turned, he glanced at the far wall, surprised to see the wall sliding away, revealing a odd crypt. Paul also noticed that in the crypt was a huge three headed demon. He stayed back, hoping the creature couldn’t see him, and then decided to use the magic again. He quickly recast the Shield spell, and then looked in the book and found an enchanting spell. He cast it on the sword, and then asked God to forgive his use of the foul magic.
When the sword was glowing, he headed into the crypt and attacked the three headed demon. He moved as fast as he could, to avoid the blows, and also to avoid the shocking attacks that came at him. Each time he got close to the creature, he managed to destroy one of the thing’s heads. Soon, he watched the demon fall, and as the creature died, it dropped a sapphire.
He picked it up, and then compared it to the other two gems he had found. All three were alike in shape and size. It seemed odd that these three gems should be like that, unless they had another purpose. He glanced around the crypt, and noticed one stone sarcophagus had three round indentations on the lid. He noticed that they also formed a triangle, and each point could hold one of the gems. He carefully placed each gem into on of the holes, unsure if he was placing them right, or if he was ready for another encounter.
He quickly turned around when he finally placed the three gems correctly, and saw the sarcophagus in the middle of the room move. He watched in amazement as it moved off to the side, revealing a hidden stairway to a door. He descended the steps, and held the torch in front of him. He then opened the door and entered the hallway.
As he entered the hallway, he noticed three corpses walking towards him. For a moment, he had forgotten he was holding the torch, but was thankful when the corpses burst into flames with his strikes. When the last one fell, he moved forwards towards the far door, and enchanted the sword. He then opened the door, and entered a room with four more corpses, each looking like skinned people. In the body of one of them was a glowing icon of sorts, but he didn’t take long to study them. He quickly moved around the room, trying to avoid any attacks, and slashing at all the corpses in the room. What made the task even more difficult was that whenever he cut off a corpse’s limb, it appeared to grow back. Soon, he had managed to destroy each corpse.
When the last corpse fell, he saw the icon flash and disappear in a yellow light, and he heard the word, “Pargon.” He knew what happened to the icon as it disappeared, so he walked over to the door opposite where he entered. As he opened it, he held his torch inside the door, and watched it light. He then entered the circular stairwell and headed down. As he moved, he heard another corpse moving, and torched it with his torch. When he reached the bottom, he entered the door that he faced.
When he closed the door, he froze as two more three headed demons were in the room. He then watched, fascinated by the fact that they were fighting one another. As they fought, he re-enchanted the sword and then moved towards the demons. As he neared them, he watched as the one demon fell, and the other roared in victory. While that one was roaring, Paul swung the sword, and killed the foul beast in one blow. With both monsters dead, he studied the room. He picked up the crossbow bolts he saw, and then noticed something very disturbing. In one corner was an exact duplicate of the Custodian. Something about it horrified him, like it was an evil omen.
It was then that he noticed three doors in the room. The first was the one he came in. The second was next to the door he entered, but he saw a huge black circle on that door. He tried it quickly, only to see it was locked. He then went over to the only other door in the room. It was opposite the door with the black circle, and he wasn’t sure where it would lead.
As he entered the door, he held the torch in front of him. He was glad he had it ready. It was a dark hall, and as he turned the corner, he encountered more corpses. All those corpses fell to the flames of the torch. He then entered the next room to see it was and underground library. He also noticed that more corpses were wandering the room. He quickly got rid of them and then explored the room. What he discovered was a library the Inquisition would see as proof of heresy. He then noticed more crossbow bolts. He added them to his quiver, and then looked at the back shelf. Something seemed odd about it, and when he pushed it, he discovered it was a fake.
He moved the shelf, and found another hall behind it. He held the torch out, and continued down the hall, wondering what other things he’ll find. Paul then heard another corpse moving. He turned the corner, and torched the corpse. He then moved to the door at the end of the hall, hoping there were no more demons around.
When he entered the door, he found a pagan alter, and another corpse. He used the sword to destroy this corpse, and then looked around the room. Right in front of him was a page of Andrew’s Journal. When he read over it, he realized Andrew had discovered the truth of what was happening in Amiens. The leader of the Inquisition was the real heretic. He then went to leave the room, and noticed a stone slab with the same icon he found earlier. He picked it up, and noticed the icon meant ‘power’. With all this information, he needed to return to the bell tower.
He left the weird alter and ran back up to the bell tower. All the way, he ran into no demons or corpses, until he reached the balcony. He used the sword he had found to quickly destroy the shambling corpse. He then ran up to the bell tower, to see the Custodian still waiting.
When he neared, he heard the Custodian say, “What have you found out, Brother?”
Paul showed the pages to the Custodian. “Brother Andrew figured out that the real heretic was Augustine. I even discovered an alter to a pagan god under the cathedral. Augustine even used the lure of sacred relic to lure victims to the church.”
He saw a worried look cross the Custodian’s face. “I suspected as much. I just didn’t have the courage to confront anyone. And now I feel my time is numbered. The other day, I found this on my pillow. I fear my life is next. Paul, take the dagger with you. Leave and get help.”
Paul took the dagger, and then said, “Don’t fear. We shall both leave here. I’ll meet you outside the door. We must be quick, before Augustine suspects our escape.” He then ran down the steps from the bell tower. As he neared the bottom, he froze. He had two reasons for his sudden stop. The first was the odd sound that came from the bell tower. The second was the man in strange garb standing by the door to the bell tower.
As he stood there, he heard the man say, “I hate to tell you this, Paul, but I fear the Custodian is gone.” As the man stood there, something told Paul that the man was right, and something also told him that the man also knew what he knew. Something also told him that this man was the mysterious Richard whom the corpse known as Anthony was speaking to.
Richard Cale stood right next to the door that lead to the balcony. While he was out of phase with reality, he kept close to Paul, but also paid attention to things. A few times, he had seen a glowing ball of red light, which reminded him of the guardian creature in Ehn’gha. He had even seen one of those balls head up the bell tower just as Paul had been coming down. He looked at Paul and noticed the monk was studying him. He realized it had to be linked to how Anthony had spoke with him. He then said, “This is not my first encounter here with the darkness. It’s a long story, involving that book you are carrying.”
He watched as Paul pulled out the book, and looked at him. “Are you from this book?”
He shook his head and said, “No. Some how, the book’s magic has linked anyone who finds it together. A friend found it and started reading it, and my wife and myself get transported with each chapter. I even saw how all this began.” He then thought back to that moment, and shuddered.
He heard Paul ask, “What happened?” He glanced at Paul, and saw that the man was curious to what had happened.
He motioned to the book and said, “I’ll explain, but hand me the book first.” As Paul handed him the book, Richard started the tale of what had happened. “Many centuries ago, a Roman Centurion named Pious Augustus was lead to an ancient city. Deep in its depths were three relics. It turned out that the relics were linked to some ancient things. When he claimed one of the relics, it gave him powers and turned him into a demon. He’s still around, working for the dark being he worships. He is trying to bring that monster into the world.”
As he paged through the book, looking for the spells, he heard Paul say, “Augustus. His name is similar to Brother Augustine. I think they are one in the same. He’s using this church as a temple for the Devil. But how did you know that corpse in the old tower?”
He started to check all the spells, making them stronger with the power runes, and the five-point circle. He then said, “Anthony had been a page of Charlemagne. Pious had killed the monarch centuries ago. Anthony had intercepted a cursed scroll which had been meant for the king. He then came to the cathedral to try and warn Charlemagne. At that time, I started to join him. It wasn’t until close to the end that I was able to help physically.” He then finished making the spells, and handed the book back to Paul. “That’s also why I’m here now. I’m here to help you.”
He then started to open the door. As he did, he heard Paul say, “I appreciate the help then. Augustine has others convinced I’m a heretic, but I know the truth. The Custodian even suspected it, and this dagger was left on his pillow. Do you know what it means?”
He looked at the dagger as they crossed the balcony, and said, “My guess is that he’s going to be sacrificed. In my time, we have learned that curved blades like this were usually sacrificial tools. Did you find anything that resembled the Custodian?” When Paul nodded, he said, “Lead the way then, but be careful.” It was then that they opened the door off the balcony, and he noticed the corpse. He let his own instincts take over, and rushed the zombie with his sword. Soon, he had destroyed it.
When he was done, he heard Paul say, “Augustine must know that I know. He is sending more of his demons to get me.” Richard held up his hand, and listened as Paul said, “Did you hear something else?”
He nodded and said, “Yes. A Bonethief is down stairs. If you cut off their head, or both their arms, they die. I’ll go down first.” He then swiftly and quietly ran down the steps. As he reached the bottom, he saw the Bonethief looking in the direction of the door on the other side of the room. He quickly rushed the creature, and cut off its head. When it collapsed, he shouted, “All clear.”
He turned as Paul came down the steps and said, “Follow me. Once we get through the church, well be safe from anyone who can spot us.” He wanted to tell Paul about the spell that could make someone invisible, but decided not to. He then ran behind Paul as they entered the main cathedral, and rushed to a stairway behind a bare alter. If he hadn’t already known about the Ancients influence, he would have thought it odd.
As they rushed down the steps and down a hall to the bellows of the organ, he said, “Paul, do you know when they added to the cathedral? Most of this didn’t exist in Anthony’s time.”
He watched as Paul held a torch in front of his as he opened the door to what had to be a wine cellar. “I don’t really know. When I came here, I knew a relic called the Hand of St. Jude was here. That ended up being a lie.” He then watched as Paul swung the torch at some zombies in the room. He watched as they quickly burst into flame and heard Paul say, “More of the Devil’s handiwork. I hope this is the last of the demons.”
He listened for a moment, and then said, “Not likely. I hear two Trappers in the next room. If you have a weapon that fires, keep it ready.” He then stepped into the next room, and saw he was right. Two of the blind creatures were walking around the room. As he quietly moved around the edge of the room, he saw Paul aimed a crossbow at each creature and fired. He then followed Paul down the steps in the room, and into the door to a hall under the church.
As they neared the end of the hall, he heard Paul say, “After this next room, is a stairway down to the room. It won’t be long, but we should be careful. There are more demons about.” He then watched as Paul opened the door, and he reacted to the sight. He went to attack the zombies in the room, but was surprised as Paul had rushed forward and put the torch to each corpse.
When the last one fell, he followed Paul through the door, and down the steps. When they reached the bottom, he put his hand on Paul’s shoulder. “Wait a minute. Something’s not right.” He listened again, and realized what he had heard. It had been this hiss of a bonethief. He then opened the door enough to look into the room, and saw the creature looking away from the door. Richard then moved quickly, and swung his sword. He was thankful when it struck the creature’s neck.
When the creature fell, he watched as Paul entered the room. He then saw that Paul had pointed towards the corner, and heard him say, “That’s the replica. I think it even had a slot in it.”
Richard walked over to the replica, and shuddered at the sight. He realized what had to be done, and that’s what made him shudder more. He looked over at Paul and said, “I think you need to put that dagger in the slot and pull it.” He stepped away from the replica, and watched as Paul stepped up to do the task. As he watched, he heard a faint scream erupt from somewhere. He also heard a rumbling sound, and turned to see a doorway appear. He motioned to the door and said, “Something tells me we need to go in here.”
He saw Paul nod, and then he opened the door. As they walked in, Richard couldn’t believe his eyes. Most of the room looked like an enormous fissure in the earth. On a small pillar in the middle room and over the fissure, there was an alter. There were also five runes on the floor in a familiar pattern. He stopped Paul and said, “Hand me the Tome for a moment. I have a bad feeling about this. Remember that I’m still with you.” He then walked over to the runes and cast the Dispel magic spell. When the spell had done it’s job, he cast the spell that would make him invisible.
When he was done, he heard fear in Paul’s voice as he asked, “Where did you go?”
He just answered, “I turned invisible. I just have a feeling we won’t be alone for long in here. Besides, if Augustine is about to discover our actions, I’d like to keep some surprises for him. Now, let’s check the alter.” He then followed Paul as they approached the alter.
When they reached the alter, he heard Paul gasp, and he knew why. The body on the alter was that of the Custodian. The man had just recently been killed and carved up. However, his blood froze when he heard a familiar voice say, “So Brother Luther, what do you think when you find a viper’s nest of heresy, the source of corruption, which caused you to become a fugitive?”
He stayed silent as Paul said, “I think of irony, especially as you pose as a member of the Inquisition. You stand for the very evil the Inquisition hunts.”
He froze as Augustine said, “That is merely a matter of perspective. It is time for your execution, in the name of our true lord, Chattur’gha. Come my children, and feast on this morsel.” He watched as Augustine stepped back, and saw two bonethieves start to advance on Paul.
As the creatures started to near, he rushed forward, still invisible, and swung his blade at the leading one, causing it to jump back, hissing in pain. He saw that he had cut off the one arm of the creature. He noticed that the other one had pause, but swung his sword at the first one. As he struck the neck of the creature, he heard the other his in agitation, and then heard the hiss start to fade. He glanced back and saw that Paul had knocked the creature over the edge of the railing. He then watched as Paul looked in his direction and smiled. He looked down at his hands, and saw he had reappeared. It was then that Paul had said, “We must follow him. We cannot let him escape.”
He then ran after Paul, and they left the room. As they came out of the room with the fissure, they saw Augustine enter the door with a black circle on it. They ran over to the door, and followed, heading down a long hall. At the end of the hall, they ran down a circular stairwell, and into a hall which turned a corner. At the end, was a strangely marked door. As they reached it, he said, “Paul, I have a bad feeling about this.”
He then heard Paul say, “We must end this now. If we don’t, this area will never be cleansed of evil.” He then watched as Paul entered the room. He followed Paul into the room and was stunned at the size. It was a long hall, with carvings all over. As he looked over them, he realized they told of all the things that Pious had done over the centuries. He slowed as Paul moved forward, fearful of a trap.
He also noticed a strange item at the end of the hall, and realized what it was. It was one of the artifacts from the ancient city. He also felt a rumbling as something exploded out of the floor in front of the relic, and right in front of Paul. It was huge with an odd shaped mouth, and two crab like claws. As Paul started to back up, he heard the thing say, “Is this the one that seeks to challenge me?”
He then saw Augustine come out and transform into his form of Pious Augustus. He then heard Pious say to the creature, “Your task is to guard this place. This insolent worm only yelps in terror in front of you. I shall take care of him.”
He then saw the claw come down on Paul, and was thankful that he was far away from the scene. He then heard the creature say, “If I am to guard this place, I will do it as I see fit. I will leave the other intruder to you. He has managed to stay outside my reach.”
Richard then watched as Pious started to advance towards him, saying, “Indeed. You have been a thorn in my side for too long. I’ll enjoy just knocking you out and feeding you to the Greater Guardian.”
He quickly moved back to the door of the hall, and saw a startled look on Pious’ face. He smiled, knowing he was heading back to his time, and said, “Not this time, Pious. It’s not my time to die.” He then saw the image of the study return to his sight. He was also thankful of the timing. He did know he wasn’t going to die this time, but with every new surprise he wondered if he would survive to the end of the encounter.
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