Chapter VI

“I see what you want.” The darkness dissipated and Dario found himself in a small cottage with Azalea and three children; two girls and a boy. The children played and laughed, and Azalea sighed with contentment The look in her eyes was pure love, a love sworn to last forever.

But when Dario turned his attention to the window he saw every acolyte from the abbey, along with the Revered Son, staring in with contempt.

“To your God of Justice your love for her is a sin, one for which you will be punished.” Azalea and the acolytes vanished. Dario suddenly found himself in the House of Discipline, strapped down onto a wrack with his back exposed. He felt the sting of a whip on his back. He heard the lash. The leather cord dragged across his raw flesh, and then struck again.

“This is justice. This is what waits for you if you take what you want, the one thing that will make you happy.” Again, the scene faded. Dario found himself in a dark cave. The sound of scuffling feet all around him, as well as a high-pitched shriek. The same shriek the creatures from his vision made. A heartbeat. Dario heard a loud heartbeat. It echoed off of the walls, and drew his attention to a strange fountain up ahead. Rather than water the fountain flowed with blood. In the center of the fountain sat a still-beating, human heart. On the wall above the fountain there was a skull. Dario's eyes met the skull's empty sockets.

“I will forgive any sin of those who serve me. Your God of Justice would give you punishment and death. My gift is eternal life to my friends.”

Dario awoke with a yelp. For a moment he was disoriented, confused. He caught his breath and stopped to look at his surroundings. He was in his bedroll in the woods. His campfire crackled beside him. The golden glow of dawn shone on the eastern horizon. A cold breeze blew across Dario's face. His horse lay nearby, wrapped in warm rugs. He remembered now. He was on the road to the city of Nox, and the sunrise meant that the second day of his journey had begun.

That dream was even more vivid than the first vision. Dario shuddered as he recalled the voice. Whenever it spoke he could feel it in his chest, as if it was his own heart speaking to him. His bones rattled with every syllable. This was no vision from his god, it was something terrible. Was the last vision truly from the Father as Felix guessed? Could it have been a trap?

Packing up camp had become so rehearsed over the years that Dario didn't even realize that he was doing it until he was shoving his bedroll into his bag. Even then he wouldn't have thought about it, had it not been for the sound of hoof-beats approaching. He was far enough from the road that the horse shouldn't have been drawing closer unless the rider was approaching him specifically. Dario hurried to get the bedroll into his bag and drew his sword. There were not many reasons for a stranger to approach a justicar in the wild, and the most common reason was for revenge.

Ah, revenge. That most twisted corruption of the Father's gift of justice. Dario had slain many a man who was out for vengeance upon him. They always tried to justify the attempted murder by crying out that he'd slain their brothers, their fathers, their sons. Never mind that these brothers, fathers, and sons were all criminals who had destroyed the lives of innocents. No, revenge wasn't about what was right, it was about personal satisfaction. Dario was ready to deny another vengeful fool his satisfaction.

But, to his surprise, it was not an enemy that approached him. A short, balding man rode the back of the approaching horse, a man Dario knew from years ago.

“Dario?” the bald man said. For a moment Dario considered simply not answering to that name. Perhaps, after all these years, Septimus would not recognize him. “Dario, I know it's you. You look more like your father than ever.” The bald man dismounted from his horse.

“My only father is THE Father,” said Dario, coldly.

“So I've heard,” said Septimus with a heavy sigh. “Listen to me, m'boy, your father...Lord Linnaeus has taken ill. Acolytes of the Mother have come by to heal him, but there's nothing more they can do. He's not long for this world.”

“May the Mother have mercy on his soul.”

“Dario, please! He wants to see you before he dies. Please come home.”

“If he wanted his children there for his deathbed he shouldn't have sold one.”

Septimus scratched his head uncomfortably. “Lord Linnaeus owed debts to some dangerous people, people who would have killed the whole family-”

“You're defending him?” Dario interrupted.

“No!” Septimus said, raising his hands in front of him. “No, I'm not defending what he did. Selling your sister into slavery was a mistake that he has regretted every day since then, and from the moment he could afford it he's been paying men to go look for her.”

“Too little too late,” said Dario. “My fath...Lord Linnaeus threw money at the problem as a token gesture. I went to look for her personally, and when I heard that the justicars were working with the Arxian military to abolish slavery completely I gave my life to their order. So, I don't want to hear how much Lord Linnaeus regrets his decision. I don't want to hear about what he's done to make up for his mistakes. I've paid the price for his sins twice over. Cilicia ten times over. Go home, Septimus. Tell your lord that Dario will not come.”

“He's dying! This could be your last chance-”

“It's justice for his crime,” said Dario. “And I am dedicated to the Father's justice first and foremost. Go home, Septimus.”

Septimus wrung his hands and shook his head. “Your poor family...oh, Dario...My father served as your grandfather's messenger years ago. I always had high hopes for the Linnaeus family name.” Septimus stared at Dario, knowing that without his return the family estate would crumble. When Septimus could see in his eyes that he did not care, he let out another heavy sigh and mounted his horse again. He clicked his heels into the horse's side and rode off into the woods.

Dario would be lying if he said he felt nothing at this. He'd long since gotten past any sympathy for his father, but he felt sadness for Septimus and how hard he was taking it. Dario had known Septimus since his childhood, and he'd always been kind. When Dario left his family estate years ago there were many he was sad to realize he'd never see again. Now Dario had a new moment that stood as the last time he saw anyone from home, and as this old friend rode out of Dario's life forever it was with tears in his eyes.

“Every man is my brother. Every woman is my sister. We are all children of the Father and Mother.” Repeating this creed aloud helped to remind Dario of what was truly important to him. He re-focused his mind on the mission before him. The city of Nox was still a half-day's ride away. He needed to get moving.

Just as flakes of snow began to dance on the breeze, Dario saw the city of Nox up ahead. A great, walled city sitting on the shore. Dario rode up to the main gates of the city, which were invitingly open. Arxian soldiers stood on either side of the gate; fat, bored, and underpaid, as far as he could tell. They noticed the obvious justicar riding into town, the Father's face upon his breast-plate made it impossible for him to hide what he was. But they seemed not to care. In an instant he knew they were not truly the force in charge of this city, for if they were they would either be excited to have his help or insulted that the Cult of the Father thought they needed it. Whether the Vice Queen was here or not, this was clearly a den of villainy, where the gangs were the real power in the city. Dario could already feel the wickedness of the citizens of Nox. The cruelty, the deception, and the iniquities. It was sickening.

Every merchant, urchin, and pickpocket eyed him as he rode through the main street. Some of them looked on him with fear, others with pure hate. The powerful aroma of spices permeated the air, reminding Dario of the wealth this city so enjoyed. Ahead of him was an inn. Judging by the scantily-clad women lurking around its doors it was one that doubled as a brothel. Dario glanced around the city for any sign of another place he could rest. Certainly, he'd want to investigate this house of ill repute soon enough, but it would be unwise to stay in a place he suspected of criminal activity. When he saw, though, that this appeared to be the only inn in sight which was in good repair, he realized how little choice he had.

With his horse in the stables outside, Dario brushed past the whores outside the inn and walked up to the inn-keeper behind the counter. “I would like to rent a room,” said Dario.

The inn-keeper looked at Dario's breast-plate and sneered. “Get out,” he said.

“I'm willing to pay, just like any other customer,” said Dario.

The inn-keeper removed the small, round spectacles from his over-sized nose, looked Dario in the eye, and said, “My customers pay good money to enjoy the debauchery that goes on here. We don't need you religious folk coming in here and proselytizing. Let my customers enjoy their sins.”

“I'm not here to convert anyone.”

“I don't care.”

“Where am I to sleep, then?” asked Dario.

“The gutter, for all I care,” said the inn-keeper, placing the spectacles back on his nose and puffing his pipe.

“I'll pay double for a room,” said Dario.

“Piss off,” said the inn-keeper.

“Now now,” said a sweet voice from behind Dario. “Let's not be hasty, if he's willing to pay double then I say we let him, but not without...conditions.”

Dario turned to see the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. Yes, even the love of his life, Azalea, could not compare to this woman. Looking over her perfect, feminine form he couldn't imagine a sculptor in all the world who could carve more beautiful curves. Her dress pushed up her chest and slits ran up her legs, up to her supple thighs, accentuating every inch of her beauty.

But the real allure was in those eyes. Those lusty, mysterious eyes. The way they curved up just right at the outer corner. The way her eye-lashes curved outward. That perfect shade of blue, like the sky just before sunset. Then there were her red, inviting lips. Petal soft and shimmering like rubies. Dario had no idea a woman's lips could be so enticing. That beguiling pucker as if she'd just recovered from a rough kiss. The subtle way the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. That mole just above her lip that added a strange allure. Silky, white hair cascaded down over her tender, ivory shoulders, and Dario was truly in awe.

“Ms. Evalina,” said the inn-keeper. “Surely this man's presence here cannot be good for business...”

That's right, they were discussing whether or not Dario could stay at the inn. For a moment he'd been so in awe of Evalina that he'd forgotten everything.

“I disagree,” said the woman. “I think a little danger just adds to the fun. Look at him, dark, deadly, handsome. I think just having him here we give our patrons something to talk about.”

“If you say so,” said the inn-keeper.

“Plus, he said he'd pay double.”

Evalina and the inn-keeper both stared at Dario for a moment, Evalina with that enchanting smile, the inn-keeper with anticipation. It took Dario longer than he was proud of to realize what they were waiting for, and then he was surprised at how quick he was to hand over the gold.

Evalina gave a playful giggle and took Dario's hand. Her delicate fingers were soft and warm. “I'll show you to your room,” she said. All throughout the halls of the inn, as Evalina led him along, he saw men playfully chasing scantily-clad women into bedrooms, drunkards struggling to get their room doors open, and even some people simply unconscious on the floor of the hall. There were even a few times where he saw two men entering a bedroom together, one, by his attire, clearly another of the prostitutes in this place. More and more Dario became certain that the Vice Queen could not be far from here. The sights would have made him turn back, perhaps return with more justicars, were he not so bemused by the beautiful woman pulling him along.

She opened the door to a room which was surprisingly luxurious, as inns go. The bed was covered in blankets and furs fit for nobility. Sashes hung from the four bed-posts, which led up to a canopy over the bed. There was a large, glass window on the far wall, and red, silk curtains surrounded it. On the left-hand wall there was a dresser with a round mirror on top. Dario wondered if all of the rooms in this inn were like this, or if he was getting special treatment as part of a bribe to leave the inn's patrons alone.

His train of thought was interrupted, however, when Evalina closed the door and turned her stunning eyes back to his. “Now, are you ready for my condition?”

“Condition?”

“My condition for letting you stay here,” said Evalina. “You heard me talking to the inn-keeper, yes? I persuaded him to allow you to stay here, but I mentioned there would be a special condition.”

“I thought paying double would be enough. Fine. What is your request?”

Evalina sat down on the bed with her back to Dario. “In the top drawer of the dresser there is a hair-brush. I want you to brush my hair for me.”

“Pardon?” Dario certainly wasn't expecting that request. He thought for sure she'd ask him to leave the patrons alone, hand over his sword, or something along those lines. “Brush your hair?”

Evalina giggled. “What? Are you afraid? A strong warrior like you afraid to brush a woman's hair for her?”

“I just...don't know why you would request that.”

“It's soothing to have someone else brush my hair, especially a handsome man with strong hands,” Evalina turned her head and looked at him with her chin resting on her own shoulder. She smiled at him and said, “Now, are you going to do this or not?”

Dario said nothing. He wasn't sure why he was complaining at how strange this request was when in such a den of iniquity there were far more terrible favors she could have asked of him. He opened the top drawer and took out the hair-brush that she'd told him he would find. Evalina patted a hand on the bed, just behind her left side, indicating for him to sit there. The back of Evalina's dress hung low, with a gap in the fabric stopping just above her round posterior. His eyes lingered on her smooth skin and the small of her back before he shook it off and moved to sit down on the bed behind her.

“You should take off your armor,” she said.

“Pardon?”

“Your armor. Heavy plate-mail, is it? Don't want to break the bed-posts.”

Dario hesitated for a moment and simply stared at her back. Whenever someone told him to take off his armor he was on edge.

“Again you are afraid, justicar? Surely you've faced foes far more dangerous than an unarmed, unarmored woman.”

Dario couldn't be certain that she was unarmed, but the more he thought about the situation the more he realized how silly it would be for her to come after him with a dagger, as he feared. He would keep his sword nearby in case she did, but more importantly her back was to him. Between the two of them she was far more vulnerable than he was. Dario complied with Evalina's request and stripped off his armor. As the plates were peeled away, Evalina looked over her shoulder again to watch him. Was that a look of desire in her eye as he stripped down to his under-armor? Dario couldn't be sure he wasn't just imagining it. Once he was done, Evalina raised her eyebrows at him, appreciatively, and then turned her head again.

Dario could feel his face burning and his loins begging for release. His hands already shook with lust as he sat down behind her. Before taking the brush to her hair he ran his fingertips through her locks. It truly was as impossibly soft as it looked. Smooth and delicate, her white hair tickled between his fingers and against his palm. Was that fear creeping over him? No, something else. He couldn't quite describe the feeling. He felt vulnerable, as if he were naked and restrained, but there was a strange thrill to it. An excitement building inside of him.

Steeling himself, he ran the brush's bristles through Evalina's hair. The bristles glided in between her locks. Though Dario would have thought it impossible, her hair was even softer than before as his other hand followed the brush. The sweet perfume in Evalina's locks filled Dario's breath, and he felt intoxicated by it. He ran the bristles through her hair a second time. This time Evalina let out a soft, subtle moan. Dario shivered, and then ran the bristles through her hair again. This time her body shifted just a little, and his fingertips accidentally touched the smooth skin of her back. Dario pulled his hand away from her flesh instantly. His heart pounded. He could feel it in his chest, in his neck, in his temples. In his vision, all the rest of the world had disappeared in a fog, and his eyes were locked on the gorgeous sight before him.

Again he ran the brush through her hair. Again she let out a soft moan, and craned her neck. Again that scent filled the air, and Dario felt dizzy. He brushed her hair again, again she moaned. She craned her neck even more, and it was exposed before his eyes. Her shoulders were bare, her back was bare, her neck was so inviting. Dario couldn't contain himself any more. He dropped the brush, grabbed her by both of her shoulders, and kissed her neck. Evalina gasped and arched her back. Dario ran his hands up and down her bare back as he ravished her neck with his lips. Evalina moaned and whimpered at his attentions, and the sound of her voice drove him wild. The smell of her hair, the feel of her skin, he wanted to enjoy it forever. His lust burned inside of him. His nails clawed at her shoulders. Evalina twisted at the waist and kissed Dario on the lips. Her tongue explored the inside of his mouth, her fingers clasped both sides of his face, and the breath from her nose tickled his cheek.

After far too little time, however, Evalina pulled away and placed a finger over Dario's lips. “Mmm...that was nice. Thank you.” Without any further explanation, she stood from the bed and walked out the front door. “If you need anything don't hesitate to let us know,” she said as she closed the door behind her.

Dario sat on the bed with his hands trembling, his face burning, and his loins yearning. His heart-beat shouted in his ears, and he sat in shocked frustration. He couldn't let it end like this. That moment was so sensual, so perfectly salacious that he had to be satisfied. He stood from his bed and hurried out the bedroom door, but by the time he entered the hall Evalina was nowhere in sight. Instead, in the halls, there stood around seven different harlots, all simply waiting for the next patron.

“You!” Dario said, pointing to one with light blonde hair.

“Me, sir?” she said.

“Bedroom. Now,” Dario said, mad with a lust that had to be satisfied.

“As you wish,” she said with a smug grin on her face.

Dario could have neither the woman he loved nor the woman who had overcome him with lust, but by the gods he would have satisfaction, if only a shallow satisfaction.