I own nothing, all right are of those of the great Philip Pullman.
"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part."
-St. Augustine.
The Diamond Key.
The fallowing takes place in Will's world.
Chapter I-After Every End Comes a New Beginning
The sharp sound of footsteps could be heard as Marco Aiello, walked quickly down the dark stone hallways of the underground tunnels of the Vatican. His heart was racing as the faint smell of mould wafted up his nostrils, but he hardly took any notice to the smell, he was far too anxious. His fingers twitched compulsively as his heart pounded, sending his heated blood throughout his body.
His dark robes wrapped around his body, making him look almost identical to his inky shadow which was being casted on to the walls by the occasional dying candle. Attached to his waist was a small dark purple velvet pouch, in it, an object that would change the lives of many, in more worlds than one.
Marco finally arrived at a large decaying wooden door at the end of the hallway. He took a moment to smooth down his dark brown hair, before knocking once, small pieces of decaying wood falling from the place where the fisted hand had touched the door.
Without waiting for an answer, he pushed open the door half afraid it would fall apart with the effort, only to revile a sight that sent shivers down his back. His eyes widened as he walked into a perfectly round room, light pouring in from the large skylight above. He pondered for a second on where on earth the light was coming from if they were underground, but the thought slipped his mind as he eyes focused to the middle of the room. The whole room was covered in dark blue, most of them cracked or dirty, giving the room a cold feeling. There, in a large silver chair, the only piece of furnisher in the room, sat the man that made Marco's heart beat so fast, he was pretty sure it was going to burst out of his chest. The Master.
It was a sight it had only heard rumors from the older members blabber on about. Yet, here he was and there he was. Marco would remember this moment for the rest of his life.
Marco, immediately fell to the ground, his hand reaching for the rosary around his neck, his head bowing down to the man he had longed to see since the day he was born.
"You may stand." The Master said in English, his thick Italian accent poking through.
Marco slowly stood, raising his head to get a better look. There, in the large silver chair sat a thin man, wearing the same dark robes as Marco. His face, however, was covered by a golden mask, with slits for his eyes and mouth. His very presence spoke of power and authority.
"It's an honor, Master. For my whole life I have always wante-"Marco said, trying to keep his voice as strong as possible."Silence!" The master said, in a calm voice, but at the same time demanding "What do they call you?"
"Marco. Of the Aiello family." Marco said wishing he could see behind The Master's face, in order to read his expression.
"The Aiello family? Your father and brothers have failed, have they not? In the search of the Clave? I think I can still remember your oldest brother's screams." The masked man said in a very calm voice leaning forward in his seat. "He pleaded for his life." He added in a soft whisper.
Marco's breathing sped up and he could feel beads of sweat start to form on his forehead, plastering his hair to his copper tone skin. Roberto. He had been the one who had taught Marco how to fish. He blinked his large brown eyes, before speaking again, pushing all other thought to the back of his mind. "Then they were weak, and deserved what the punishment. Any punishment condemned by The Master is fair."
He had seen his father and 3 older brothers all leave on the same journey in search of the clave, all of them had failed and like any other member of a family who was part of the Braciu, they all met the same fate. The Braciu had no room for actions of unfaithfulness.
The Master leaned back in his chair, "I am pleased with your answer Marco, and such dedication from such a young boy is remarkable. How long have you been with the Braciu?"
"Since the day I was born, Master. Since the day my mother brought me into this world, and I opened my eyes to see the grace of God. 18 years, Master, yet as you know, they only allow us to start officially training at the age of 10."
"Impressive Marco Aiello. Now, to business. I assume you have the Clave. You know the rules. If a subject of the Braciu brings me the wrong clave, they…well, they suffer the same fate as the rest of your family. Are you prepared Marco?"
Marco swallowed blinking several times before walking towards the large silver chair. He was not afraid. He couldn't be wrong, after the long search, after 2 years of going around the world; he refused to end up like his father and brothers. He would not fail.
He could feel the curiosity growing in his chest. Since the age of 10 all males of the Braciu were trained to serve The Master and god. For the last 7 years there had only been one mission for the Braciu: The hunt for the clave. No one really knew what the clave was for or what it looked like exactly, except for the fact it was a key that would bring righteousness back into the world.
He bowed once again as he arrived only meters from the man in the golden mask. As he looked down he untied the small purple velvet pouch from his waist and held it in his hands, holding it up to the Master.
"I have been waiting almost 7 years for this. If you have succeeded, you will finally have put things in order Marco, and the Braciu will be able to act. We will finally be able to make our move." And with one swift movement he took the small bag out of Marco's hands and greedily untied it. Behind his mask, his bright blue eyes were glimmering, as his fingers opened the small bag, shaking its contents into his hands.
After a long moment of silence, Marco couldn't take it. "Master, have I failed? If so, I will be the one who shall push the dagger through my own belly. It is what I deserve if I have brought shame to my family, like my father and brothers before me."
After yet another moment of silence The Master finally spoke, "No Marco Aiello, you have done well." He said before laughter filled the room. "You have done your job perfectly. You have proved yourself a flawless subject, and because of that you, I have another job for you."
Marco finally looked up, a smile on his face. "Anything Master. I will always be willing to act in the name of the Braciu. It would be an honor."
"Good, good. I need you to hand deliver this to someone." He said, as he reached into his robe pocket and took out a small envelope "Once you read this, you must memorize it. Once you memorize it, you must burn it. Do you understand Marco?"
Marco nodded and the Master handed him the yellowed envelope and the purple bag once again."Deliver this to the person on the piece of paper Marco. Do not fail, there is too much at stake. Do not speak of the Braciu. Do not tell anyone of your mission."
Marco nodded, once more. "I will not let you or the Braciu down." He said before standing up."I trust you won't Marco. Now go. I do not know when I will see you again, but if I don't, act always in the name of the Braciu and God."
"I will not fail." He said before bowing and leaving the room quickly.
Once the reached past the wooden door and found himself in the dark stone hallway the opened the envelope. In it, he found a picture of a young man with dark hair and dark eyes that seemed to pierce through the very picture. He turned the picture over and memorized the name and address written in messy hand writing and then set the picture and the small piece of paper ablaze of one of the dying candles.
Will Parry
Oxford University
England