A special thanks to Light for the great review, and to all the people who've been following and reading this story so far. Thank you so much for keeping me going!
14- The Monastery
The two adventurers met Diego in the command cabin at the very first hours of the day the following morning. The ocean was all bathed in orange light and the waters were still. The cargo ship was sailing straight, and far away on the horizon the coast of the American continent was slowly coming out of the morning mist eventually. Everything was strangely calm and quiet in the cabin, as if Lara, Kurtis and the Argentinian were slowly realizing what they had been through during the past few days. They didn't say a word for the rest of the journey, but Kurtis noticed the old man kept jabbing at him regularly, as if suspicious of him. After two hours or so, the irregular shape of Puerto Deseado appeared in the distance, and the boat slowed down as they finally approached their destination. They entered the small industrial port, they saw a rather impressive mass of people gathered on one of the quays.
Lara gave the old Argentinian a surprised look.
"I think my story of conspiracy and genetic modification has provoked the interest of quite some people," Diego said ironically as he manoeuvred the boat to moor it.
The engines roared noisily as the Argentine manoeuvred the boat alongside the quay.
The two adventurers watched the crowd waiting for them on the dock below. It was still very early, but there were quite a lot of people down there. A few prisoners were already waiting on the deck, ready to get off. Lara gathered her things and felt a wave of stress come over her as her gaze fell once more on the group of journalists waiting outside. Diego intercepted her confused and slightly distraught look.
"I'd better not be on the front page," she said bitterly.
"You are a hero, though."
"I'm not that kind of hero."
"You saved all those people, Lara," he said, pointing to the group of survivors milling around outside. "Without you, none of them would have survived."
Lara gave him a sincere smile, but looked down, almost embarrassed.
"... moreover I've never been very comfortable with this kind of... stuff... it's not really my thing, you know. What am I supposed to tell them anyway?", the man asked, a little distraught.
"I guess you can just tell them the truth. The world needs to know what was going on in those labs, and why those people disappeared. The Svendsens must pay for what they did, even if their bodies are never found. But everything will be okay, Diego, you'll do perfectly fine."
Diego nodded, although he didn't look convinced at all.
"So, it's time to say goodbye?"
He and the young woman looked at each other for a moment, before the old man invited her into his arms. They embraced tenderly before he took a step back.
"What will you do now?"
"We're going to put an end to this. Definitely," Lara replied in a confident voice.
The old man nodded slowly, and glanced again at the mercenary standing behind the adventuress.
"I'll take care of them, don't worry," he said, pointing to the journalists on the quay below.
Kurtis silently picked up his bag and belongings. The Argentine turned off the boat's engines. But as he turned to leave, he changed his mind and came back to the adventuress and handed her a small paper.
"If you need a discreet means of transport, go and find this man, he's an old friend of mine," Diego explained. "Tell him I sent you, he'll give you a price."
The young woman took the paper and stepped forward to take him in her arms again. She sensed the old man's emotion and forced herself not to get carried away by it.
"Take care of yourself," she heard in her ear.
"As always."
"As always, yes," the old man repeated with a laugh.
They parted. After one last look at the adventuress, and a quick nod to Kurtis, Diego finally left the cabin without looking back.
—
Kurtis strapped their belongings securely onto the bike, before walking around and checking the condition of the tyres and rims. They had waited until the end of the day before finally disembarking from the freighter, waiting for the crowd and journalists to disperse. The people they had freed from the base had been taken to the hospital. They had gone to the address Diego had given them, which had led them to a small, shabby garage on the outskirts of town. After a negociation, they had finally managed to get an old American motorbike.
"So, where are we going now?", asked the adventuress, who was watching the mercenary working on the vehicle.
Kurtis crouched down and made some adjustments with a spanner, concentrated on his movements. After a few moments, he finally stood up and sat on the motorbike.
"We're going to the capital. We have to find a flight."
"Where to?"
He started the engine, which grumbled with a hoarse, metallic sound. The young woman approached and sat down behind him. The back seat was not very comfortable, but she would make it through the journey. Reluctantly, almost showing a disgusted look, she agreed to put her arms around the mercenary to hold herself. To her relief, the young man made no comment on the situation. He acted like he hadn't notice nothing, trying to ignore the proximity with the young woman. He made himself as comfortable as possible, before hiting the road.
"Brother Obscura's real name was Jehan De Gruas," he responded after a while. "I suppose you remember his body was buried in the Louvre basement, with the painting you found..."
If you're talking about the bloody evil spirit it took me ages to kill AND the painting you stole from me, yes, I remember it very well
Lara knew the young man had heard her, but he did not show anything.
"Are we going back to Paris?", she asked over the noise of the motorbike and the wind.
Kurtis shook his head.
"... he was the member of a very specific order before he joined the Lux Veritatis. A thousand year old religious group, which has been a valuable ally for the Lux Veritatis, and whose followers are now few in number. After the imprisonment of Eckhardt and the death of Brother Obscura, the order was disbanded and they scattered throughout the rest of the world. But their original knowledge, all their knowledge of the Shadow War, has been treasured in their original community and monastery, in the province of Karyes, I imagine."
The young woman rolled her eyes, unable to help herself.
Couldn't you just say: Greece?
Kurtis accelerated. The motorbike sped off along the desert roads of Argentina, and soon they left Puerto Deseado behind in the light of the setting sun.
—
The last part of the journey was the shortest, but seemed strangely long for the two adventurers. After a flight connection through Paris' airport and a very quick stopover at Athens', they took one last flight to the small city of Thessaloniki, situated far in the north of the country. But after nearly twenty hours of flight and having crossed half the globe, they both suffered the effects of jet lag when they finally arrived in Greece's second largest city.
They negotiated a car and drove for another two hours before finally stopping at a small, remote village in the countryside, just a few kilometres from their final destination. Although Lara insisted to keep going, Kurtis stood up to her and insisted on his side they should get some rest for the rest of the night. They stopped at a small roadside hotel despite the adventuress reluctance.
The hosts led them to a room on the upper floor of the house, at the end of a corridor open to the outside. The building's exterior was charming, and had all the makings of a typical small Greek house with its smooth white walls and terrace with large, lush green plants, but the room was relatively small, and in rather poor condition. It was obvious that the owners had intended to make an effort, but the furniture was dusty and the walls clearly smelled musty. When she saw the iron double bed, which seemed very tiny to her, Lara could not hold back an annoyed grimace, and they both avoided each other's eyes, embarrassed. But the two young people knew would be gone by dawn the next morning and they were too exhausted to make any protest anyway.
The young woman walked quickly around the room, put her things down in a corner, before locking herself in the bathroom without paying the slightest attention to the mercenary, who went out to smoke a cigarette. Kurtis took the opportunity to nibble on the few fruits and cakes their hosts had kindly left on a table. After several long minutes, Lara finally came out of the bathroom, dressed only in a towel. Kurtis didn't need to meet her cold, disdainful gaze to understand he had to turn his eyes away, and that he had to hurry to the bathroom to leave her some privacy. He preferred to avoid any confrontation anyway.
For long minutes, he remained there without moving under the hot water. He ran a hand through his soaked hair and closed his eyes for a moment. The water cascading over his shoulders felt like a massage, but he didn't feel much better. When he finally decided to go out, his heart was still heavy. In the small bedroom, Lara was already lying in bed, her back turned to him. Without a sound, the mercenary walked towards the bed and sat down on it. He ran a hand through his still wet hair once more, to put his messy strands back in place. Behind his back he heard Lara sigh loudly. He was exhausted, drained of all energy, but he didn't feel like sleeping. He bent down and rummaged in his bag, taking out his travel notebook, which he studied for a few moments in silence. He hoped to find something, even the smallest clue, but without really believing it.
Lara suddenly moved behind him. He felt her straighten up. He looked up from his notebook, but his mind was elsewhere. There was a silence, during which nothing happened.
"I know the area well, I've been there on one of my previous missions," the adventuress finally said.
Kurtis sensed from the sound of her voice that she was clearly annoyed, and no doubt frustrated at not knowing what the mercenary had in mind in coming here. Lara was the kind of woman who calculated and planned every single move she made, who always thought about every possible option, though the prospect suddenly seemed ironic given the situation they were both in since they had left Antarctica. He knew she was intrigued not to know more about their objective, and the mercenary felt a weird kind of satisfaction about it.
Don't start playing that game
In front of his total silence and lack of attention, the young woman insisted.
"The monasteries of Meteora are relatively easy to reach, but Mount Athos is a sacred land, an area which has been protected for centuries by the Orthodox law. Only permanent resident monks and the few accredited pilgrims can enter it. It's going to be difficult to reach the monastery you're seeking, the monarchy established here applies extremely strict rules on who can access these places of recollection or not. The borders are guarded night and day. The boat shuttles to the port of Dafni are rare, infrequent and extremely controlled, not to mention the fact that you have to make arrangements almost a year in advance to obtain a pass to enter the territory, and that the local people themselves are on the lookout for the slightest movement that might seem suspicious."
The mercenary did not move, concentrating on his notebook. Lara was clearly looking for conflict and was trying to make him feel uncomfortable, and no doubt to test him. But he was in no mood to deal with her know-it-all side. Not tonight. Lara took it upon herself not to be overwhelmed by anger at the young man's persistent silence and coldness.
"Thank you for this little geography lesson, but I already have my idea on the question," Kurtis finally answered over his shoulder.
"And I suppose you also have your idea about the fact that I am a woman, and that access to Mount Athos or to any monastery is completely forbidden to me, as established by their law?"
The young man sighed.
"I'm not worried about that. But we'll see about that tomorrow, Lara," the mercenary replied in a flat, emotionless voice.
The young woman was clearly surprised by Kurtis' answer. He hadn't even bothered to turn around. She stared at him for many seconds, waiting for the moment he would suddenly explode with anger, and maybe scream at her. But the American did not move. He ignored her completely. Given that she knew she no longer had the strength to play the confrontation game, she turned her back on him and folded the blanket over her in an exaggerated gesture.
"If you say so," she said ironically, before closing her eyes.
The mercenary glanced over his shoulder, and let out a loud sigh, before getting back to his notes. He looked through his journal for a long time in the light of a torch. He heard Lara's breathing, at first jerky and loud, then slowly calming down to a temperate and calm state. She had been asleep for a while when Kurtis finally decided to go to bed too.
—
They set off early the next morning, at first light, so that they could cross the land border of the republic of Mount Athos without being spotted. The green and slightly hilly landscape gave way to the much drier and more mountainous landscape characteristic of this side of the peninsula. Far in front of them, the sacred mountain, which overlooked a chain of regular and steep mountains, seemed to rise out of the morning mist that enveloped it. The soft, slightly rosy morning light gave an almost fairy-tale appearance to the landscape, and to the Aegean Sea which stretched as far as the eye could see at the foot of the cliffs.
Not surprisingly, Kurtis was leading the way. He was progressing at a good speed a few feet ahead of Lara. He seemed to know where to go, and which monastery to find, even though he hadn't said a word to her since the previous evening. She made an effort not to make any unpleasant remarks, assuming the mercenary knew what he was doing. After all, she had only to follow him without question, and that was fine with her for the moment. She didn't feel strong enough to argue anyway. And obviously it suited the mercenary too.
After several hours of fairly physical walking up and down the steep, sometimes vertiginous, slopes of the northern side of the mountain range, they took a quick break, hidden under thick pines that grew right up the sides of the mountain. The sun was now high above their heads, and the heat overwhelming. Below them they saw the tiny town of Karyes, and its red and white buildings that stood out against the surrounding greenery. They had reached the centre of the republic, but Lara did not know how much further they had to go to reach the monastery they were looking for.
It was clear they had not reached their destination yet. They set off again without a word, always taking care to bypass the main access roads that criss-crossed the Orthodox Republic. Although these were only wide dirt roads, the two adventurers preferred to keep a low profile for as long as possible, and avoid any confrontation with the local population as long as they could. A few miles further on, the terrain and relief softened, which facilitated their progress for the last mile they had to cover. After a final climb through the pine trees, they finally saw the monastery, nestled in the trees and vegetation below. The imposing white building stood majestically on the side of the mountain, perched on the cliff that plunged steeply towards the sea. From where they stood, it looked as if it was suspended in the air, ready to topple over at any moment. Kurtis gave a quick glance to the young woman behind him, as if to indicate that they had reached their destination, before resuming his walk.
Lara suddenly felt the tension rise. On the look out, she took one last look around, then finally followed the mercenary who was already far ahead.
—
It didn't take them long to reach the walls and the first buildings. They walked around a charming terraced garden with brightly coloured flowers and plants, perched above a small chapel made of light-coloured stones. The two adventurers hid behind a large fruit tree and some bushes to take time to observe the surroundings. In front of them stood the impressive main building, whose dark wooden terraces made it look like a large medieval fortress. On the left, Lara was surprised to discover that an aqueduct with large vaulted arches had been built to connect directly to the monastery, no doubt for the sake of autarky. A little higher up on a mountainside, a herd of goats was enjoying the tall grass, the tinkling of their bells echoing against the thick stones in a crystal clear sound.
Lara felt the mercenary stirring beside her. Just as Kurtis was about to stand up, she grabbed him by the arm, unable to hold back.
"What are you going to do? Go in there and tell them you're looking for your friends? Who are we supposed to talk to? Do you even know what's in there?"
The mercenary looked her straight in the eyes.
"The order has fought alongside the Lux Veritatis for centuries. They know our struggles, they have always shown us their deepest support. They will recognize me as a disciple of the Order of Light."
"And what if they reject you, given that the Lux Veritatis is supposed to be dead?"
Kurtis shook his head in annoyance, and took some time to think.
"Go back and hide a little higher up, outside the monastery grounds if you can. I'm going to go and meet the brothers, I'll come back for you in a few hours, at nightfall. I'd rather test the waters before I do anything."
Lara couldn't help but move a little back, and looked at him with two big, cold eyes. She didn't need to answer him verbally for him to know from the expression on her face what she thought of what he had just said.
"If you have a better idea, just let me know, please," Kurtis retorted, waving his hand in annoyance.
They glared at each other. Furious, Lara grabbed her things and turned around, blowing loudly and exaggeratedly. The mercenary watched her striding away, before disappearing further up the pine forest. He sighed loudly too, and sat up, preferring not to interfere and to refocus on what he had to do. There were several buildings in front of him, but the easiest way was to enter the main building first. He couldn't imagine coming face to face with the p-order, it seemed unlikely. But he would undoubtedly find some monks to help him.
If the order still exists
He was no longer sure of anything, but it was the only lead they had now. With measured steps, he walked slowly down to the small chapel, skirting the walls, before entering the monastery's main courtyard.
—
The place was strangely silent. For a moment, he felt as if he had stepped back several centuries when he found himself facing this large, austere building, wedged between these high walls of white stones. He walked a little further towards the large wooden doors he had seen a little lower down, which seemed to indicate the main entrance. Discreetly, he leaned against one of the walls to cover himself. Then, after one last look around, he grabbed the wrought iron handle and pulled it. The door swung open with a creak and he slipped inside without hesitation. He found himself in a hall with a relatively basic decoration, except for the enormous cross with twisted motifs that sat in the centre of it. To his left, he noticed an opening that led to another large, spacious room. A refectory. To his right, a closed door. Kurtis naturally went towards this one, not forgetting to watch his back, but the building was silent and seemed deserted.
He had no trouble getting into the other room, which was relatively dark, unlike the ones he had just seen. There was a strong smell of incense and candle wax. Stained glass windows with colourful designs adorned the tall windows that ran the length of the room. Long dark velvet curtains framed each of the windows, and countless chandeliers hung above him on long golden metal chains. On either side of the central aisle, mahogany seats were placed in rows, and seemed to converge on a central dais, on which sat a kind of large chair with chiselled patterns, like a throne. For that is what the room looked like, a sort of throne room.
"Who are you?"
The mercenary jumped and turned to face the man, not much older than himself, who had just appeared through the door he had entered. His hard, dark gaze locked onto Kurtis'.
"What are you doing here? Who let you in?"
Kurtis raised his hands in peace. The monk, dressed in a long black robe, stepped forward, slightly threatening. He saw the young man's hands tighten around the spear he was holding.
"How do you dare entering this sacred place? Who are you? And what are you doing here?", the monk repeated mechanically.
"Good evening, forgive my intrusion-", Kurtis began.
He was interrupted by the arrival of several other monks, who in turn entered the room, no doubt attracted by the noise and commotion.
"What is going on here? What is it, Giannis?", asked someone who was stepping forward.
The young man pointed at the mercenary.
"I found this man rummaging in the council chamber."
There were murmurs of protest from the group of monks. Some tried to approach, sticks and spears in their hands.
"I wasn't snooping," Kurtis interrupted, trying to keep his cool. "I'm looking for someone. I need help. I come to you as a disciple of the Lux Veritatis."
A cold silence suddenly fell over the room. All the monks present fell silent, and Kurtis felt all their eyes on him. Some murmured among themselves. The monk who had stepped forward took a few steps towards him. Judging by the gold embroidered scarf around his neck, the rounded headdress embroidered with gold threads on his head, and his long silver beard, Kurtis guessed he must have been the patriarch.
"What are you saying?", the man asked, now completely flabbergasted.
"I am looking for the descendants of the Order of Agio Oros."
After another seemingly endless silence, the monk suddenly began to move, and walked towards Kurtis. With measured steps he walked up the aisle. The heavy cross that hung around his neck swayed with his steps.
"How dare you come here in the name of the sacred order of the Lux Veritatis... all these members have been silenced, the order has been annihilated-"
"It has not, I am the last surviving knight. My name is Kurtis Heissturm."
The patriarch stopped dead in his tracks, his arms flailing. Kurtis felt the other monks holding their breath behind his back. He saw some of them tightening their grip on the sticks they were holding, ready to attack if necessary.
"Konstantin's son..."
The American nodded. But he saw the man frown.
"But how do I know you're telling me the truth?", said the old monk. "How do I know that you are not one of those heretics who have come to plunder our knowledge and understanding for your own mischief?"
The American then raised his hand, from which he withdrew the seal he wore on one of his fingers and held it up to the man. This done, he then took out from his belongings his periapt shards, and put them in evidence for the monks to see. Their dark blades glittered in the dim light of the chandeliers. A gasp of surprise went through the group of monks, and the murmuring began again. The patriarch continued to watch the mercenary with suspicion and apprehension.
"This means nothing, you could have killed and robbed one of the knights," he replied cynically.
He did not take his eyes off the mercenary. Kurtis could not hold back a doubtful pout at his remark, and shook his head, visibly annoyed. Then an idea came to him: he grabbed his shirt, and to everyone's surprise, removed it, then turned his back to his audience, who discovered with surprise the huge tattoo he wore on his back, the celestial wheel that every member of the Lux Veritatis wore on him.
"You bear the mark of the order, but that doesn't prove anything either."
Kurtis felt the anger rose in him, and turned around. He held his arm out in front of him and took a moment to focus. There was a sort of vibration in the air, and with a sudden jolt, all the spears the monks were holding flew out of their hands and into the air. The weapons whistled, and the mercenary picked them up one by one as they all flew to him, surprised he had been able to disarm them with such ease. Cries of protest and astonishment rose up, before giving way to general amazement. There was a moment's hesitation, during which nothing happened, and during which no one moved. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the American saw the patriarch finally kneel down, and the other monks stepped back after he signalled them to do so.
"Forgive me, knight... We welcome you here to our land as a friend, follower of the Lux Veritatis," the man said, bowing slightly forward in submission.
Kurtis watched the monks one by one. He carefully stepped down from the platform he was standing on and came towards him. He placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, and the patriarch looked up. His dark eyes met the mercenary's blue ones.
"You are the spitting image of him. Forgive me for being so suspicious-"
"Stand up," the mercenary ordered, handing him back the spears. "I don't need all this bowing and scraping to feel respected. We are equal in our fight and in the light we bring, brother. And I can only understand your distrust, I feel the same towards almost everyone."
A pale smile of relief came over the man's face. Up close, Kurtis realised he was older than he had first thought. He helped the man to his feet, and gave the weapons back to the other monks who approached without getting too close to the mercenary.
"I am truly sorry for giving you that king of welcome. In this remote and isolated part of the world, we have found refuge, and for a long time we have been able to survive because we remained hidden. But unfortunately the order is not as strong as it used to be, not to say it is dying. There are far too few of us now to keep it going. But as long as we can help our brothers in arms, we will. Tell me, what was your request, brother? How can I help you?"
Kurtis took a second to think and find the right words. He felt the gaze of the monk Giannis fixed on him, watching him from a distance. The mercenary looked down at the bag in his hand and hesitated for a moment before making his move.
"I need information, brother. I'm on the trail of the Obscura paintings."
The monk frowned.
"But I thought the paintings had been hidden in a safe place by the Lux Veritatis?"
"They were. And they have unfortunately been found. But that's not what we're talking about here. I came here in the hope of finding information about what they might contain. I am looking for what Brother Jehan tried to hide by covering the paintings."
"Forgive me, but it seems to me that the Lux Veritatis is best able to decipher and understand these paintings... the Agio Oros only followed the guidelines..."
"I have reason to believe someone, or maybe something here will allow me to put definitely an end to the Shadow War."
The patriarch looked at him without understanding. Kurtis then opened the bag he was still holding and took out Eckhardt's glove. The man couldn't hold back a hiccup of surprise that quickly mingled with the terror on his face. The other monks gasped in surprise too and took several steps back.
"How dare you bring such dark magic to our sacred lands?", Brother Giannis suddenly shouted, brandishing his spear in Kurtis' direction.
The patriarch stopped him with a wave of his hand, his eyes completely absorbed in the object in Kurtis' hands.
"The Devil's Hand...", he whispered.
"Brother Azarias!", they suddenly heard behind their backs.
The patriarch and Kurtis turned around in a single movement. The group of monks who had been standing at the entrance suddenly became agitated, before a group of men made their way through them. They were pushing someone in front of them. A woman. Outraged murmurs ran through the assembly of men around her as Lara appeared in the light of the baroque chandeliers.
"What is going on?", stammered the brother.
"We found her a little further up, at the entrance to the pine forest," announced one of the men as they approached the patriarch and the mercenary.
One of the monks who accompanied her pushed her forward with the end of his staff, as if he was reluctant to touch her directly. As the young woman came towards, Kurtis saw the dark look she gave too the monk, ready to pounce him. The American couldn't help but give Lara a reproachful look, who was obviously trying hard not to beat the crap out of all those monks, arms folded across her chest, looking sulky, like a little girl offended at being discovered after a few seconds in a game of hide-and-seek.
I did my best, she told the young man. And for once, I didn't hurt anyone, if that makes you feel any better.
"What is that?"
"That is what you call a woman," the adventuress replied ironically. "Don't tell me that your misogynistic world is so small that you don't even know what a woman is? I hope you've seen one in your life, or in books at least?"
Kurtis gave her a murderous look.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you get to this sacred place?", Azarias asked in an almost theatrical voice.
"She is a sinner, my brother, an enemy sent to sully us. The infamy should be burned alive or thrown off the cliff!", interrupted Brother Giannis, who brandished his spear a little more before him.
"You, on the other hand, have obviously read too many books," Lara retorted, turning to him. "You should get up to date, a lot has happened since the Middle Ages..."
"That's enough!", said the patriarch, raising his voice. "Take her away, I will deal with her later."
"Wait!", Kurtis protested as he walked towards the young woman. "She's with me."
Despite the loud protests around them, the mercenary walked over to the young woman and stood beside her. After exchanging a glance with her, he turned to the patriarch.
"What are you saying?", asked the man, completely lost.
"She is accompanying me on my mission, Brother Azarias."
Time seemed to stand still for a moment. The scene seemed almost surreal, with a still sulky Lara and a bare-chested Kurtis on one side, and on the other, the monks looking terribly austere in their black robes. The patriarch's cold, inexpressive face stared at Kurtis for long seconds of incomprehension. The young man suddenly feared everything had fallen apart. The two adventurers saw the man open and close his mouth several times, as if he could no longer find the words. But after a few minutes and against all expectations, the expression on the man's face suddenly changed. Anger and surprise gave way to astonishment, as if he had been suddenly seized by a revelation. His piercing eyes rounded, and rested in turn on the American, then on the adventuress at full speed.
"So this is it... You are the ones we were waiting for...", he said in an almost inaudible voice.