CHAPTER IV: SERVANT OF TWO MEN

In spite of improving situation in the order, Maaetris was disconsolate. We adventured deeper together with Unfric, although recruits did great progress in fighting. We tried to investigate mazes, but still unavailingly. Ciphers were coming and leaving from nowhere. Sometimes Magran priests seemed to observe us from distance, but as soon as we headed for them, they enigmatically disappeared in darkness. I felt that Loeuna hadn't told me everything. From the other side she didn't avoid meetings, and I appeared as often as I could. Diurnal patrols allowed me to do it, but I had to have eyes like a hawk. I met with her in a place near the barrier, more low of the water level. It was a rubble heap, having hole in the wall, similar to the solitary confinement. There wasn't too pleasantly, but ledges were enough to not stand in the water and to last those few talks. Especially about lower level of sewer level full of odd, wild beasts and ciphers with the passage killing everyone who tried to get across. Their hiding place had to be there, where paladins couldn't have reached. Even a prayer to Berath lost its power faced with sealed trap.

Sewers were peopled by various dregs of society - bandits, thieves, prowlers ready to cut throat for seeing only a shadow. Ciphers had gained 'monopoly' for ruling as everyone feared them. But Loeuna didn't take an interest in the sewers so much as I. She wanted to find about my past instead.

I began to think up, but priestess, to my surprise, realized it quickly. Apparently, I couldn't lie. So, I told Loeuna about my life in a home-temple. My foster father, Vailian in origin, played first fiddle. He didn't want to hear I could have other vision of life than his own. I was supposed to be made a priest with no discussion. The only thing helping me to forget about it expressed in spending time in the temple garden. I loved taking time to plants and looking after them. I was imply proud of having green fingers. However priests laughed, claiming that plants became my lovers. In addition to this, I had been surrounded by book piles and dreams about journeys, what was unusual for typical Readceran as stay-at-home better.

Yet priests aggressed sometimes, usually when I broke their rules. I couldn't have forgotten the day I left temple willfully as a boy and got to the city. After my return I was shutted in the cellar with no food or water as a punishment by my father. I had been getting sick for a few weeks.

There were also those, who looked at me with sincere concern yet not a result of worry, rather angst. I had a feeling as I had been taken under protection forcibly than goodwill. Moreover, rumors told I had thwarted father's life, though it was perhaps far-fetched. Sometimes priests' rigor drove me mad and I almost wanted escape from the temple, but as I quickly understood, there was no place I belonged. I had to accept my fate.

My story seemed to touch Loeuna. Fortunately, her heart wasn't made of stone.

She seemed to not fit in with picture of Magran priestess I had been inculcated before. She was to be a monster of the worst kind that desired Readceran bloodshed with permanent hatred to everything in our lands.

Simply our souls had been joined by bond of liking quickly. I repaid her in food theft from order kitchen. At least I had also other purpose. I need to eat evenings for the sake of exhausting trainings.

As our trainings started to take place in open air, number of patrols had been reduced. We were practising long marches around city to improve our stamina in case of journey. Because it made my meetings with Loeuna difficult, I hit upon a idea of letters dropping to the sewers hidden in supper food. It was risky, but I worth of it. I was more frightened seeing her in danger than myself.

But not everything went my way. When I was dropping my letters I was encountered by Unfric!

Aumaua eyed me up and down suspiciously. "Water isn't too cold in the sewer, is it?"

I told nothing and wanted to leave, but Unfric held me.

"What have you got there?"

"My supper. This bread's stale. Water could help it."

"So, you need sewer water to do it?"

"I didn't say-."

"Stop lying if you couldn't do it."

"Let me go! I am starving!".

"Indeed", Unfric clenched his hand. "Interesting you smell of sewers even after bath."

Unfric frowned.

I wanted to wrenched myself free from Unfric's grasp, but his might towered above me. Aumaua are really strong creatures. Unfric continued:

"When I saw you, I knew there would be trouble. Gods do not curse their children without reason. Your parents understood it well. Who would like to bring such abomination up-".

"Shut up!", I shouted. "What have I done to you to treat me like that!?"

"Those like you are a flaw in our society! Because of those like you my wife-!", Unfric stopped talking. In his eyes I noticed tears as he tried to stop them.

"So it's all about your wife?", I whispered.

"She left to the Cycle because of the child cursed by gods like you. It was a penalty as we had married against our families. After her death they didn't let me remarry."

I tried to cheer him up."I am so sorry."

My words probably made Unfric even more angry. "What can you know about it! Nothing! You will never start a family! Any woman won't even touch you!"

I lowered my sight in embarrassment. He was right. Unfric was looking beyond the horizon.

"Go... But if I see something suspecious from your side one more time, you will be punished."

That sentence fell from the Unfric's mouth very confidently. In a dither, I disappeared in my chamber, thinking about Unfric's story. So, loss of his wife and birth of Godlike child caused, how he had treated me. But I realized that I did not understood his situation at all. I had never known so little about life as that day...

On the next day before daybreak I sneaked to the order kitchen. This time I noticed sizeable sheet of meat instead of bread. Loeuna would certainly be glad. Hurriedly I took meat, hiding it under my armor. Perhaps it wasn't good idea, but it was the only way to not arouse any interest.

According to my predictions Loeuna delighted in meat as I brought her only bread so far. She got the sizeable stone immediately started and put the raw meat on it. When a meal was ready, Loeuna munched whole pronto. She had to be hungry as a bear.

"The last time I had eaten something like that- It was so long ago-"

Loeuna was lost in memories. "It was really hard there. In the- resistance."

"Resistance?", I asked out of curiosity.

"I had been involved in resistance movement in the days of the war. More precisely during purges."

"You never talked about this- much."

"Not everyone accepted Waidwen's reigning in Readceras. Many were disappointed. They expected something else from the king, who according to them, went insane or deceived them or, what was worse, did everything for the reasons only known to himself. We gathered all outcasts of religious dissenters, heretics not accepting the authority, everyone who disagreed. We were a blasphemy not wanting to submit themselves to his will. Even though we knew, we were a mere drop in the ocean of faithful to Waidwen, our movement was supposed to 'open their eyes'. Chances of it were- fewer than poor in the beginning. When our power grown enough, we demanded our rights with Waidwen's power cut down.

But we failed. Someone betrayed us, I have no doubt. There were no explanations or judgment! Only a slaughter! They treated us like bandits!"

Loeuna's voice cracked in one moment. I laid my hand on her shoulder in a gesture of solace and care.

"I remember it as if it was today-. My friend was pregnant at that time. They didn't spare her. They were slaying everyone with cold blood!"

"But you survived."

"Because of my sister."

"Sister?", I asked almost shocked.

"Yes. She was my younger sister out of- many brothers. My Natlan family came from Ixamitl, but a long time ago we relocated- to Readceran lands, losing contact with our former culture. We were Readcerans- Everyone of us followed… Waidwen, when… he had been rebelled against Aedyr. We gave him… throne. It was a shame that on so long. We thought it would be… a better solution. But my… sister believed different. She didn't glow with love for gods, she thought if Eothas had a finger in every pie, he would make a dog's breakfast of everything. I disagreed with her, but I was afraid of her words. Individuals not tied to any deity had reasons to fear after death."

"Soul lottery.", I interrupted.

"Lack of any god worship is the biggest- crime through pantheon's eyes. There is no mercy after death. Of course she ignored my religious drivel, Waidwen didn't care her under political consideration, but it wasn't so in terms of- faith. She disliked his religious bullshit. So, she jawboned the movement for more concrete steps, including supposed assassination and dethroning. But we didn't want to kill anyone, we only demanded laws of existing in the country. And what got we in exchange!? Calling us heretics and regicides! Because of man, who you serve!"

"You sound like you nurse a grudge against me!", I reacted sharply.

"You can think about us as friends, but nothing can change, who we really are. If it is necessary, I won't hesitate. And what about you?"

I remained only silent. I was really long silent…

"You know, you will have to do things, you cannot avoid. If you don't cope with it, you show weakness!"

I couldn't believe I heard such words from Loeuna's mouth! If Maaetris… told me it yet.

"You don't believe in destiny at all, Loeuna. If you did, you would have abandoned me to my fate. Not only I have dodged between the truth and the lie.",

In her eyes flashed a deep reflection, a flame of internal quarrel. I thought that something had been in her soul not wanting her to acknowledge.

"You are right. You take recall my sister. So much."

"Was she a Godlike?"

"No, she wasn't, but there is something in you, what reminds me her. Simply. I know it's a silly explanation. She was unhappy woman not understanding gods' will, so she had to pay price for it-."

"I wish I hadn't got to know her."

Loeuna looked at me with fear and sympathy at the same time, I didn't know for me or her dead sister.

"Believe me, I wouldn't wish knowing her on you.-", she said enigmatically and grimly, as if there was hidden some dark secret.

"You're keeping something under your hat.", I looked at her deeply.

"Nothing. Question, what you will do with that? I can see, how you have been in two minds about it. Wouldn't it be better, if you pull the plug on it?"

"Are you mad?! I'm not afraid of them!"

"But you will be-"

Those words crushed my mind. Perhaps Loeuna was right indeed? I had fought with my thoughts mercilessly for many weeks after all.

"What should I do then?"

"You don't fit there. You have never fitted. Believe me, Magran's fires will transform you into better being-"

"It isn't so simple as you think!"

"But it would be better. Our meeting hadn't been accident. If you want to help us resolve cipher problem, you had to stand with us. You can't be a servant of two men. Not in Readceras."

"I'm not in mood to talk about it.", I replied.

She nodded her head and had a long thinking in the darkness of the rubble heap. After some time Loeuna took her purple cape off, approaching to my side.

"I wish you take it.", she got cape into my hands. "Here, made of vorlas. It belonged to my sister."

"You cannot give me this. That's your family memento!"

"I'll give it whom I want. And I wish it to be you."

I put the purple cape on. It was very humid and destroyed. Suddenly Loeuna touched my face. I would have protested, if I had decided to do something. Her fingers moved on my spiral birthmarks under eyes, linking into the weird pattern on my spiny head. Gentle touch was wandering after my skin as Loeuna hugged me. Nobody had ever treated me into that way. And never before had I been so close... to the woman...

When I got to the surface, it was snowing at the courtyard. I thought, end of the year had approached. Having come back to the chamber, suddenly paladins blocked my way, armed to the teeth. With no word they led me to upper chambers. Inside I saw Maaetris. She was standing above some sheets and crumbled food waste. Her hands seemed to shiver, but not out of fear, and rather than great agitation.

"You have ten words.", she exploded, not raising her head. "Ten words to tell me, why you, a Godlike paladin of Fellows of St. Waidwen Martyr, are familiar with the Magran priestess!",

In my head was flaming. I was silent as a grave.

"You have nothing to say!?"

Maaetris shouted and knocked letters off the table with the sweeping move of her hand. Now I was sure that somebody blew the whistle on me. Or found letters. But how? Apparently, I had to lost bread with letters from my hands, before I reached the hatch.

"Where- is- she?", I heard a question.

"You will learn nothing from me!", I growled threateningly. "I've had enough of your pack of lies!"

"Do you know how traitors finish?", Maaetris got up and started circulating around me. "But it doesn't have to be that way. It's the only one simple question - where is she?"

I was silent as a grave again.

"Well- if you don't want to talk, you will be forced. In the dungeon!"

Paladins violently caught me and started pick at themselves.

"You have no right! No right to do this!", I was struggling desperately.

"I have the only right.", Maaetris voice sounded imperiously and with the contempt. "I can wait. Unfric was right as to you, bringing me these letters. Not only are you a thief, a liar, but also hopeless effigy of gods."

Aggression burst out in my head, so I started fighting with the guards. Nonetheless, my revolt quickly was crushed. The scream of despair and disagreement spread around the room out of my mouth, drowning in- darkness.

"Talk!"

I heard irritated voice. In my head arrived one thought: I will tell them nothing! Soon I felt taste of blood, my nose was bleeding.

"It is only the beginning...", I heard. I looked at Unfric. Then doubts appeared. Maybe if I ratted Loeuna out, they would let me go? No! I learnt too much to do it to her! She was right! I should have disappeared a long time ago! Suddenly went another blow . Tides of pain shook my body.

I groaned pathetically, covering my mouth in order to stop bleeding. Then I got beating again. Someone reacted to my surprise.

I recognized Maaetris' voice. "Stop it! We are supposed to examine him, not to beat!

"That's the only way to make him talk!"

"Superiors will not be pleased when they learn about it! Priests too, if they see him in crippled condition when he come back home!"

"You feel regret for him!?", Maaetris let go Unfric's hand and replied with quiet voice:

"I am your boss, am I not?"

Unfrik snorted and left me alone. So I am coming back to the temple... I didn't already know what worse... perishing on tortures or by priests. Maaetris gave Unfric sign to pick me up. They accompanied me to that horrible cell.

"You will have enough time to think about your behaviour.", I heard confident voice and the sound of closing door.

Bleeding fortunately stopped at nighttime and I felt better. Unfric appeared with few paladins at dawn, declaring that he was taking me home. We went to the courtyard, where Maaetris stood. I saw sadness with dissapointment in her eyes I had to cause with my rebellion. Suddenly I felt dislike, espiecially from superiors who were watching me with dose of the contempt. Strange shame crushed me as I hung my head.

When I raised it a city was portrayed before my eyes. Interested in the new view, I stopped thinking about unpleasant situation quickly. Huge, pearl palace towered over many houses and buildings. Under it there was a big square with narrow streets and corners. More close to methere were market stalls from which I smelled heavily seasoned mulled wines. I realized that I had just wasted a chance of the last hope.

When we turned behind market into one of narrower and less busy streets, I felt dizzy. I started groaning and begging for drink. Irritated Unfric sent one of his paladins for the mulled wine. When he came back with the bottle, I drank whole content of it immadietly. Hot drink burnt my throat so painfully that I splashed it on paladin faces! I got away, trying to be farthest from Unfric as possible. Soon my eyes noticed familiar view! My heart was beating so intensivly! The way into sewers! With supernatural power I jumped inside...