We strode towards Her then and there,

And offered up our lives.

-Korek Song of the Covenant

Gardinal paced the room, its smoke-stained walls pressing in on him. The whorehouse’s entry hall had been constructed to fit nearly two dozen, if in indecent proximity, with a rough iron chandelier hanging all too low from a wooden beam, threatening to crush everyone beneath. Or perhaps it was the weight of the conversation that left Gardinal feeling suffocated. Regardless, he continued to pace as the rest of their small group funneled into the too-small room.

“What, exactly, is going on boy?” Gardinal asked with a bite, turning to the Jöln just as he stepped through the door. At the small man’s ominous warning, Gardinal had insisted on returning to their somewhat-safe house to confer privately. Too many ears out there, too few they could trust. “And just you try lying to me boy.” Gardinal stated, tapping his side hammer for emphasis. “I’ll show you what I do to gods-forsaken liars.”

Gardinal stared down the man, sneering in disgust. The little blasphemer running for help once it all got a little too real for him. Now he wanted the Pantheon’s help. Gardinal felt his hand clenching his hammer’s shaft tight, unaware of when he had reached for it. Staring at the man shuffling across the room, Gardinal felt his knuckles grow white around the steel rod. If Her Radiance wasn’t here! Well, Gardinal wasn’t sure he had the restraint with these men that he might have before that last attack.

Noticing Gardinal’s gaze, the Jöln cultist stared back nervously, taking a seat between Kriss and Rekiak near the unlit hearth.

“I… I wouldn’t lie m… m’lord…” The Jöln stumbled over his words, glancing around from face to face wide eyed. The sinner came to them for help then suddenly was lost for words? Maybe it’s time to pull them out of his throat. Gardinal thought with a snarl.

“Out with it!” Gardinal snapped, stomping closer to the cringing man and unhooking his hammer properly. “You told us we have no time! Well then, speak!”

“Please… I just want to…” The heretic shrank into his seat, looking around desperately for help.

“Fear not friend, Brother Gardinal will cause you no harm.” The Prophetess comforted, gliding over to the Jöln and shooting Gardinal a sharp look. “He is just a bit over zealous, that is all.” The Prophetess kneeled in front of the man, her back to Gardinal, and took his unworthy hands in hers. “But if what you say is true, then we must know what is happening.” She squeezed his hands, and it made a visible difference in the man’s demeanor. “Please, won’t you tell us?”

The Jöln let out a loud sigh, and with his eyes locked to The Prophetess, he answered. “I… I won’t lie. I joined the master, and I… well I didn’t regret. He treated me well you see and…. Until… until…” The small man began to stammer, his eyes moistening as they darted around the room from face to face staring back at his pathetic form. Gardinal rolled his eyes and glanced at Vallerian. The count, leaning against a wooden support beam, met his gaze and shrugged as if to say don’t ask me. Gardinal grunted, then returned to the Jöln.

Celeste kneeled beside the man, calming him with gentle whispers. He doesn’t deserve her mercy, Gardinal thought with a growl. But no, that was wrong, and he knew it. All the Mother’s children deserved mercy if they asked for it. Even heretics, unfortunately.

The Jöln cultist swallowed, then turned from Celeste as she stepped away next to Kriss. The man looked to Gardinal with nervous determination as he spoke. “They wanted to sacrifice me. To cut out my heart in service to the Great Master and that which he represents.”

Celeste gasped, and Gardinal’s knuckles nearly popped as they tightened on his hammer. Sacrifice. The very word thrust images from that day in the sewers into Gardinal’s mind. Daemons, Chaos, death. And that man. The thought of that terrifying Korek monster drained the blood from Gardinal’s face.

“How many of you?” Gardinal demanded with a hiss. How many had the Summoner killed for those daemons? Only two? If the summoner was planning something big, his number of sacrifices would be a true indication.

“I… I…”

“HOW MANY!” Gardinal shouted, rushing the space between them and lifting the Jöln by the neck, hammer held up and pointing the man in the face. “I will rip the words from your throat if I have to.” Gardinal pressed the head of his hammer into the man’s cheek. “You denied the Pantheon, heretic, and I wouldn’t miss a blink of sleep if I crushed your…”

“Gardinal stop.” The Prophetess commanded. Not loudly, not strongly, but she said the words.

“He deserves it.” Gardinal hissed, not taking his eyes from the man.”

“Please, that’s enough Brother.” The Prophetess laid a hand on his arm, and Gardinal looked to her. Her face was stern, but with a quivering lip. Was she… scared of him? His hand went limp and both man and hammer felt to the floor with a thud as Gardinal stumbled back. Control, he had to control himself.

“There was maybe four or five that I knew of.” The Jöln began from the floor, rubbing his throat. “Maybe more, I didn’t stick around to find out. Once they told me their ‘good news’ I asked for a moment to prepare and ran.” He explained. “Once I got out onto the streets, I remembered that Rekiak had gotten away, so I went looking for him.” The man looked to Rekiak hopefully, and the large Korek nodded his consensus.

“I brought him straight here.” Rekiak further explained for the smaller man, looking all too big for the Fereni sized chair beneath his huge red form. “I knew you would want to hear of this.”

“You did well Rekiak.” The Prophetess said, smiling over at the large man.

“How much time do we have?” Vallerian finally joined the conversation, pushing off from his leaning spot and sauntering across the room with his characteristic ease. “You said now, but did you mean now now, or now later?” The man grinned, then pulled a chair up to sit with the group.

“Now as in now.” The man responded with a sense of dread. Gardinal met Vallerian’s gaze, his grin gone in an instant. They both nodded. Time to debate was gone, it was time to act.

“Vallerian, you’re with me.” Gardinal spoke, moving to head upstairs. He would need his armour, his hammer, and his shield. Archibald better have put the shield back in his chambers this time. “Kriss, Rekiak, you stay here with Her Radiance. If anything happens, if anyone comes, you get her to the temple immediately.” Gardinal reached the stairs, then turned to the men to confirm “You understand?” Each nodded in turn. Good, Gardinal thought, now if we can somehow get a letter to my brothers in the Golden Hammers for support and…

“I’m coming with you.” The Prophetess stated. Gardinal stopped halfway up the stairs. What? Turning to look over at her, he watched her cross the room to the base of the staircase and stand before him defiantly.

“Your Radiance you…” Gardinal attempted to protest before being cut off.

“I am coming with you.” Celeste repeated, slower, as if he hadn’t understood. Gardinal eyed her, the girl stood feet shoulder width apart and squared towards him. Where had this new defiant streak of hers come from? It was certainly not him, and it was proving a true nuisance.

“Prophetess, it will be far too dangerous. I can’t risk you like that.” He explained, trying to keep calm. “You just have to…”

“I have to go because it’s dangerous.” She responded. “Every time you and Vallerian go out on your own, you return to me nearly dead. I won’t have it.”

“I said no!” Gardinal shouted, slamming his fist into the wall. “I will not have you running around getting yourself hurt any longer.” He turned, finished with the conversation.

“You will not walk away from me Brother Gardinal.” The Prophetess stated firmly. Glancing back, Gardinal saw that she had taken a step up the stairs and held the wooden banister with white knuckles.

“Celeste…” Kriss began, rushing over and placing a hand on her shoulder. A pleading look from the Prophetess however cut his argument short.

“I won’t let anyone else get hurt. My friends, or otherwise.” The Prophetess shot a glance at the Jöln still on the floor next to Gardinal’s hammer, then back to Gardinal himself. “I have had enough of you all returning to me covered in blood that I can only pray is just yours. These people need our help, and I will not sit idly by as you two risk your lives, and theirs, for it.”

“I hate to say it Gardinal.” Vallerian spoke up, rising from his chair with a shrug. “But if it’s as dangerous as our little friend here proclaims, perhaps having someone who can keep you from bleeding to death on me could prove convenient.” The lord shot Gardinal a ‘why not’ look with a half grin. Gardinal gritted his teeth. Was everyone here going completely mad?

“No.” Gardinal responded. “I will. Not. Have it.” He bit every word off like it was tough goat jerky. If she was going to be obstinate, well then so was he. Her Radiance was not coming.

“Brother Gardinal…” The Prophetess began to protest further, but Gardinal ignored her, stomping off up the stairs, down the creaky hallway, and into the sorry excuse for bed chambers that he had occupied those past weeks.