Carmine

Walking through the hallowed halls, we saw the statues of Benedict and his twelve angels of chaos. The painted motifs of his blessed heaven, white flowers laid along a prairie with sparse tree coverage in front of the rolling hills, yet they worshipped him behind closed doors.

We were in a pious hall lined with stone towers and thin columns engraved with images never deciphered beyond confusion. Embossed pots posted on the wall inlets beside long banners hung from the roof.

Gold statues of a minute stature laid upon a table. In between them laid a long dark emerald bottle. Glasses lingered around it, was it wine maybe?

Majestic in sight, yet the danger cursed the loin of my feet. I knew which God they served after all.

Five, was this the place?

Yes…

I loved how you wanted to protect me and put me in more danger with the same breath.

Sorry Mother

Just call me Carmine, getting tired of that Title.

Yes Mo- Yes, Carmine.

Five leaned before the statue of a man with a burly beard, six arms flanking outward in dominance.

Without fail, Carmine. There it was.

The huge pillar that went behind the statue was round and had minute impressions of animals sprinkled in a diagonal pattern.

Looking up, I doubted there was an end. All I saw was encroaching darkness soaked deep above me and the absent roof that descended from heaven.

I came over and laid the bombs in between the feet of the man. Five cut the strip off the wire and sparked the trigger. It burned slow and it would take a while before it exploded.

The bombs Janilla carried were going elsewhere. I took up the bottle and the glass, for I needed something to numb my thoughts for a while.

Adu and the others should have been okay, because I felt more unsafe as the hours continued.

We came out of this sanctimonious region, but found ourselves hugging the wall in the darkness allotted to us. We watched several soldiers running and jogging around.

Shouts resonated about where the captain was, who was supposed to do what and which commanding officer requested assistance.

I grumbled. Sore me, of all the luck I had.

There were a lot of frightened, curious retainers, and petty nobles stalking around, either for information or security. Well, at least I knew why the alter we went to was empty.

I twisted my lips.

Five, any ideas?

If we went out like this, I, covered in blood and Five, carrying his sword, we would immediately stand out.

Another shout, Five moved his hand back, passed me, touched Janilla’s shoulder.

Janilla reacted with a whip of her head at Five.

Five whispered, “Para is nearby. I can hear her voice, but I cannot detect her presence. There is another empath nearby and I think they are suppressing my range and trying to find us.”

Janilla frowned. “And?”

I gave her a glazed stare. “You are the light, we have to stay in the darkness, so you can stay in the light. Go, go now.”

Janilla gave me a nervous glance before sighing and going into the hall. We stayed there for a good while waiting amongst the noise.

I heard Janilla’s voice in my head. Come into the east corridor, metal door.

How? I asked.

Ahhhhhh…

Five and I exchanged tense stares. My eyes cut to the gauntlet. Maybe a card laid up my sleeve. I plucked the string hard and got that loud shattering sound.

A brief uncomfortable silence ensued. Mumbling was heard. Five spoke in a rough unfamiliar voice, “Hey, hey stop!” It sounded like it came from elsewhere.

Shuffling of feet, clanking of armor, It sounded like those soldiers were gone. Five peeked out, then his hand motioned for me to follow.

We tried to look natural, speed walking down this crowded hall and we got a few turns of the head. I hoped those nobles paid no mind as they usually would.

We came into a mildly dark corridor. At the end of it laid a thick dark gray metal door, it had the impression of a lion carved within the center. A window hovered above that image, but it was grilled.

Cautious, I grabbed the tooth of the lion and pulled the door.

Opening it sent three women jumping back in fright. I stood in the open doorway and saw her horror turn into a glowing smile as she crushed into me.

“Yes, I knew you were alive and well! I told him you would be alive,” Para said.

“Him?” I asked, muffled in between the softness of her shoulders. The narrow hall behind her led to a sun-drenched stone corridor with a darkened stairway at the end.

“My husband. I mean when we heard you were here, I was happy. Though, I must admit he wanted to talk to you about some more serious matters.”

“What happened back at the temple?”

She clapped and drifted back. “Yes, Kello is dead, the temple was damaged. The priests are calling for your head for the disgrace you inflicted to the temple’s sanctity.”

Any other time I would have been shocked, but I had lost the passionate energy to exhort it. “We will talk about that later. For now—“

“My Lady—“ I turned and saw this dashingly handsome man standing between Janilla and I. Janilla stepped back. The man looked like a Justice. My eyes hovered over his chiseled square face devoid of facial hair amid the graying hair on the edges of his top hairline.

His hands moved towards the spear at his hip. I drew my gun when he grabbed the spear and we stared eternally at each other in morbid conflict.

Five stepped in behind us. Para stepped back and pointed at Five. I reached for Para’s hand, but the Justice slapped at my wrist. Five blocked a kick from him and grabbed hold of his wrist preventing him from drawing his spear.

Their arm muscles bulged, veins pulsated as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. Para shouts out, “What kind of madness is this?!”

I shushed her and said, “Listen, he is my ally now. Calm do—“

Para pointed at Five. “Calm down! That man tried to kill me!”

“He tried to kill me,” I said, planting my palms on my chest.

Para stared briefly before turning to her ladies. She sighed, and replied, “So what would possess you to be here with him in this place, you know where you are right now? You, the creatures that lurk, you know the ill-intent that cometh for your neck?”

I pursed my lips at her.

Five spoke, “You have met my, my—“

“Friend,” I said to get the conversation moving.

“Yes—Carmine, my friend, you have met her already?” Five directed at the man.

The Justice narrowed his eyes at Five. “How do you know that?”

“You and Valor killed a champion, did you not?”

I looked up at Five in shock. Then it clicked, I turned to the Justice. “Xallion?”

Five pushed off Xallion, who stood straight and watched us as if anxious of any attack. “Yes, that is my name.” He scowled at me. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I nodded my head, while the girls glanced between us. A tense congregation we weaved. “At least I am living,” I replied.

His gaze became darker. “Then you killed Kello, defiled our temple, and assassinated the King with the life you were given.”

I shook my head. “No, Corona did that. All of that.”

“Corona? Corona, our chief nun? She's dead?” Xallion looked shocked.

"She is not dead. She's very much alive, well one of her bodies is, anyways."

I turned to Para and held her shaking hand. “It’s true,” I turned to Xallion. “Corona is an infiltrator from Elam.”

Xallion shook his head muttering soundlessly as he tried to absorb this.

Five’s voice echoed in my head.

Carmine, we must go.

I said, “Look can we get to the southwest wing of this keep. We need your help to reach there.”

Xallion and Para stared at each other. Para sighed and said, “What do you need for me to do?”

“Bullocks! My Lady you cannot be seriously considering consorting with evil,” Xallion said.

Para shot an irate glance at Xallion. “I will consort with whoever I want.”

I stepped forward. “Para, may the sun shine on your tenderly kindness. Xallion, follow me.”