Chronicles of Espiria Season 1
Episode 4 - Lights in the Darkness
Written by The Dude
A young boy knelt before the altar at the Temple of Ascension and began to pray, pleading with the Celestials to alter his fate. As he prayed, he heard gentle footsteps approach him, then the rustle of a dress as another pair of knees came to rest next to his. He stole a glance to see who had knelt next to him, and found the face of a lovely girl not much younger than he looking back at him.
"I've never seen you before," the girl whispered. "What is your name?"
"Lucius," the boy answered nervously. "Lucius Lanward."
"I am Belinda Augustin. I'm glad to meet you."
They were silent for a time as they continued their prayers. After they finished, they spoke more on their way out of the temple.
"The Lanward mansion isn't far from Ranhorn, is it?" Belinda asked.
"Not far. I just don't have as much time to spend in the temple as I'd like."
"Why not?"
"My father wants me to be a general in the royal army. My time is all spent learning swordsmanship, battle tactics, all sorts of ways to kill people."
"But you don't want to do that."
"No, I want to be a medic. I want to help people. But my father doesn't understand that. I'm hoping that the Celestials can save me from him."
"Don't say that, Lucius; I'm sure your father loves you very much and only wants what's best for you."
"But..."
"Lucius, if you want so badly to be a medic, it's because the Celestials have called you to be so; if they have called you to be a medic, then they will find a way for you to become a medic. Trust in the Celestials to guide you where you need to go, for they are wise and experienced."
"So what of my father?"
"I would ask the Twins to intervene. You'll only ever have one father; it would be a pity to lose him over a dispute like this. I will pray for you as well, if you like."
At that moment, Lucius' mother found him standing outside the temple and called to him. He started to run to her, but paused and looked back at Belinda.
"I hope I can see you again."
"Look for me in the temple. I'm going to be a priestess!"
They did eventually achieve their goals. Lucius was one of the greatest medics the Church had ever produced, and his military training allowed him to also become a skilled paladin. Belinda, meanwhile, was a beloved priestess serving in the temple. The two rarely got to spend time together, but they considered each other friends and enjoyed what time they could find.
Eighteen years after they first met, they were traveling together down a crumbling road to a long abandoned mansion.
"Tell me again; why are we traveling to the old Marwen mansion?"
"The Church received reports that the mansion was being used as a safe house for heretics. I was asked to investigate."
"This isn't something you do often, is it?"
"Investigate heresy? Occasionally, and it's something you may be asked to do when you aren't serving as a healer in the royal army."
"So you asked me to accompany you so I can learn more about civilian life?"
"That, and I enjoy your company."
Unnoticed by Belinda, Lucius blushed at her answer.
"So how do we handle the heretics if we find them?" Lucius continued.
"We try to bring them back to the Light. If they repent, then our task is complete."
"And if they do not?"
"It depends on the heresy. If they are harming only themselves, then we can pray that the Celestials change their hearts, but we must by law leave them to their fate. If, on the other hand, their heresy directly threatens the kingdom, then we must arrest them and make them stand trial in a royal court."
Moments later, the mansion came into view. Like the road, it seemed in such a state of disrepair that Lucius and Belinda could not imagine someone risking their lives to actually live there. Until this moment, Belinda was her normal joyous self, on the verge of skipping at any moment; on seeing the mansion, her demeanor changed almost instantly from joy to shock, then from shock to contempt.
"Belinda, what's wrong?"
"That woman..."
Lucius had not noticed the woman before. She was standing before the mansion, her back to the two priests. She wore what appeared at first to be priestly robes, but as Lucius looked longer, he could see that the skirt had been heavily modified to allow for easier leg movement, likely for a combat situation.
"Do you know her?"
"She is a nun of the Path of Ascension."
"The Path of Ascension?"
"They are a convent who have devoted themselves wholly to the worship of Athalia, the Harbinger of Justice. They know not the ways of love and mercy; only Athalia's vengeance."
"What do you suppose brings her out here?"
"Just be ready for anything, Lucius. The Path of Ascension is more concerned with punishing the guilty than protecting the innocent. We may even need to save an innocent from her wrath."
"I fear that may not be necessary, Belinda." the woman responded.
Lucius was surprised; he didn't think they were speaking loud enough for the woman to hear them. Belinda, however, recognized the voice almost immediately, and her suspicions of the woman's identity were confirmed when she turned to face them, revealing an ornate blindfold over her eyes.
"Mother Cecilia." Belinda growled.
"Thank you for coming so quickly." Cecilia began, ignoring Belinda's hostile tone. "I've been scouting the house for a few hours. The heretics seem to have been here for a few days. I fear any innocents are likely already dead."
"Then what holds you back from punishing the heretics yourself?"
"I am flattered by your confidence in my abilities, but if the past is any measure, the power they wield is beyond me alone. But where two are gathered, there Athalia will be also."
"There are three of us, Cecilia. You may be blind, but I know you can sense my friend."
Cecilia turned to look in Lucius' direction.
"Then introduce me. Who is he?"
"My name is Lucius Lanward..."
"Lucius, you are a paladin."
Lucius was taken aback. If she was blind as Belinda mentioned, how could she see his paladin raiment?
"You will stand guard as Belinda and I search the house."
"No, Cecilia. He comes with us."
"Belinda..."
"I will not leave him alone with you here!"
Cecilia considered Belinda's terms.
"Very well, but the man's safety is in your hands, not mine."
Cecilia turned to enter the house, Belinda and Lucius not far behind. Once inside, Lucius voiced his concerns with Belinda's behavior.
"Belinda, I am a paladin. She is but a blind nun. What do you fear she's going to do to me?"
"Do not underestimate her. Cecilia has killed more people than she could ever count, without the need for eyes."
"Look!" Cecilia shouted.
Belinda and Lucius looked in every direction, at first seeing nothing until Belinda brightened her staff. The half-rotted carpet, once depicting a beautiful landscape as intricately woven as paint on a master's canvas, now was marred by a large blood stain. Cecilia knelt and sniffed the air.
"The blood is not more than three days old."
"How can you tell?" Lucius asked.
Belinda placed her hand on Lucius' shoulder. "It's best you not know. Cecilia, there are footprints in the blood leading to that door, behind you and to my left."
"I smell them now. Come."
The door opened up into a narrow staircase to the basement; since it was made entirely of stone, it withstood the elements better than the rest of the house. Lucius went first, followed by Belinda, then Cecilia. At the bottom of the stairs, they found a network of cages, left from a time when the basement served as a dungeon for the royal family. As they proceeded, Belinda sensed a change in the quality of the light. Cecilia sensed it as well, and drew a pair of stiletto knives, the signature weapon of the Path of Ascension.
"Lucius, ready your poleaxe."
"What do you see?"
Belinda snuffed out the light of her staff. Immediately, they were bathed in an oppressive light that flickered between dark purple and crimson like a candle.
"This is a demonic light, Lucius. I'm sure Cecilia can sense it too. We must be prepared for anything. Ready your poleaxe, and pray that it is enough."
Lucius drew his poleaxe and shield from their resting places on his back, wishing now that he was back on the border of the Mauler territories. Presently, they began to hear an incomprehensible muttering from a room up ahead.
"Do you hear that?"
"I do, Lucius. Can you understand it, Cecilia?"
"It is not a tongue I am familiar with. But the pronunciation is quick and precise; he knows it as a second language. Lucius, kick the door down."
Lucius did as he was told, despite his nerves. The door fell in one blow, the wood having rotted in the dampness of the dungeon. Inside, they found a man in a black cloak, standing over a girl no older than ten, tied up and laid out on a stone altar. He was just about to plunge a blunt stone knife into the girl's heart when the priests burst through the door.
"Dura be with us!" Lucius exclaimed as he took in the scene.
"Dura is dead!" the man answered. "The Celestials have abandoned you! All that remains are the almighty Hypogeans! Nothing can oppose them!"
"Release the girl and surrender yourself, now!" Belinda demanded, unfazed by the maniac's rantings.
"You fools! I told you; nothing can oppose me! Her sacrifice will make me invincible! I will become this world's death!"
The man raised the knife again. Belinda raised her staff and Cecilia raised one knife; a brilliant beam of light issued forth from both weapons, striking the maniac in the eyes and chest; the man cried out as if he was on fire, black smoke emanating from the places that the light fell. Lucius regained his senses and charged the man, intent on restraining him. This proved to be foolhardy, however; as he drew close, the man swiped at Lucius, hitting him square in the shield and knocking him against the wall. The man then grabbed his chest and ripped his skin off as if it was a frayed jacket. The beast that emerged from the skin was tall, powerful; what part of his red skin that wasn't covered in black horns seemed to glow like fire. He stood erect and issued a deafening roar; as Lucius recovered himself and found his place next to Belinda, he noticed that the inside of the demon's throat burned brighter than its flesh did.
"Do not hesitate, Belinda!" Cecilia shouted. "We must destroy it before it can retaliate!"
Belinda raised her staff again, summoning holy lightning to smite the beast, while Cecilia charged it with knives that glowed with holy power and Lucius shone a holy light on it from his poleaxe. The demon roared with pain as the light fell on it, burn marks appearing on its skin and face. Cecilia got one knife into the beast's chest before it swept her aside, knocking her into the wall behind Lucius and leaving her dazed. The beast inhaled deeply, then breathed out a stream of fire that would certainly have turned the priests to ash if Lucius hadn't quickly raised a divine shield to block the fire. Once the stream of fire abated, Lucius lowered his shield, panting, as Belinda unleashed more lightning at the creature. It writhed in pain as it sank to its knees, Belinda refusing to allow it another chance to attack. As her strength began to wane, Cecilia recovered herself and took up her remaining knife. She charged the demon again, and this time, she managed to sheath the knife in the creature's eye. It screamed in pain one last time as it dissolved into a pile of ash. Cecilia's knives clattered to the ground as the ash scattered.
All three priests were exhausted, but Belinda could not allow herself to rest just yet. The girl who the demon meant to sacrifice was still tied to the altar; Belinda could not leave her like that for any length of time, so she used one of Cecilia's knives to cut the girl's bonds. The girl stood and hugged Belinda in gratitude for a long time.
"There there, you're safe now." Belinda said to the child.
When the four of them emerged from the house, the afternoon sky was beginning to give way to evening. Lucius was still shaken.
"I pray I never see that monster's like again," Lucius admitted.
"I'm afraid that prayer may not be granted." Cecilia responded. "This is not the first demon I've seen in recent days."
"How many?" Belinda asked, a pit forming in her stomach.
"The first was last week. My sisters were investigating a small village north of Ranhorn. We found the demon in the windmill, in the same way that we found this demon here. Thankfully, that one was easy to vanquish. The second one was found three days ago in an abandoned chapel. That one killed three of my sisters. This one marks the third sighting."
"Three demons in a week?!" Belinda exclaimed. "Where could they be coming from?!"
"I do not know. I must find the answer before any more fools hand their souls over to these abominations. I leave the girl in your care, Belinda; you clearly know more about the proper care of children than I do."
Belinda grimaced as she watched Cecilia turn and leave, then she, Lucius, and the girl began the trek back to the nearby town.
"What did she mean by that?"
Belinda did not hear Lucius' question; she was already singing an old hymn in an effort to calm the girl they saved.