Chapter 2
"Interesting tool, the scythe."
Kilian looked curiously at the prophet as he walked around his desk to show her a valued antique. She had never noticed its existence till now, although she thought she might have remembered seeing dark shapes in the glass case on the little table behind the prophet's desk.
"Yes, the scythe. Ancient farmers used it to reap their crops. They separated the useful from the unsightly. With this, they harvested that which sustained them and destroyed that which was useless."
Kane now paced around the room, tapping the flat side of the rusty iron blade on his palm. Kilian's gaze followed him.
"And yet, as all tools of peace go, they all have another side to them," said the prophet as he turned the crescent blade around, beholding its somewhat ugly brown glow in the light of the room. He continued, "The scythe is also a symbol of bloodshed. Kali, the goddess of death, wields a scythe. The Okinawans turned their scythes and sickles into deadly kama for assassins."
Kane now replaced the weapon back in the glass case and took his seat. "Do you understand why I have called you here, Kilian?"
Rising to her position in the Inner Circle meant that she had to be a sharp and discerning woman. Kilian did not disappoint.
"You wished to speak with me of the significance of my position, Your Eminence."
"Indeed, Kilian. You are a Pillar of Nod. You embody the Scythe of Nod. It is you who will separate the goats from the sheep within the Brotherhood, Kilian. You too, are the the greatest weapon that Nod will wield. The Sword may be flexible and graceful and the Hammer may be powerful and brutal. But it is the Scythe that is versatile and deadly." Kane spread his arms out and smiled slightly. "Moreover, your enemies will never expect you to draw a scythe in battle to match their blade."
"Recognize, Kilian, your importance to Nod and to me. Now, Marcion may embody the Black Hand of Nod, but I fear that despite his competence at battle, his tendencies will only lead to the Hand being crushed underfoot by GDI."
"You will be of most value in the times to come, Kilian. Soon, the Brotherhood of Nod, the symbol of the oppressed wanderers, will utter its rallying call and rein in all the faithful. We will rise like we have never done before, and this time, victory will ultimately belong to us."
"One Vision, One Purpose, Your Eminence."
"Verily, verily." Kane then smiled. "The first death will be justified."
Author's Note: I realize this is an incredibly short addition in a very long time. I apologize. My school's final year exams have just started and Complex Numbers, Integration, Nucleophilic Substitution and a whole other bunch of topics from the five subjects I have exams for are killing my brain and my writing along with it. There's going to be a lot more imagery and contrast with other religions in Kane's speeches, and I'm thinking of doing a chapter where the Inner Circle convene to speak with Kane on how to strike the first blow to GDI. Until then.
