Chapter 11

The Priest

Bastet dragged Lilian with hurried steps as the branches and leaves slapped against his face. He did not dare to look back, but judging by the weak grip of her hand, she was exhausted. His shoulders were slouched, and his large black eyes burned on his pale face. Once they escaped far enough to no longer feel the baron’s penetrating gaze, Bastet felt it safe enough to whisper to her – “What the hell was that?”

-“A figment that was too grand to stay unreal” – Lilian’s eyes were stone cold as she recited – “How could an almighty one possibly not have the power to force himself into existence? That’s what the Chronicles of Merax say anyway… Though technically, a chaos baron is just a fragment of a chaos god, who are at the core of the purple sun…” – She weakly collapsed on one of the nearby stumps – “I guess the books did a poor job of describing just how terrifying they are in person. Or is that what they call poetic freedom? Can’t have the hero browning his pants, no glory - no story.”

-“Merax?” – Bastet tilted his head.

-“Oh, you haven't heard of it? It’s one of the most famous tales.” – “She and her companions received a… No, it’s better not to spoil it. You should read it yourself one day.”

-“These chaos gods, barons, or whatever. Can they be trusted?” – Basted placed his hands on his thighs, but hesitated to sit down. It would make him feel too defenseless.

-“Unknown horrors whispering to you from nowhere hardly instill trust. But I didn’t learn too much about them in the Academy of Grand Arts, to be honest. There were more texts in theology that deal with that subject than ones in cosmology. And only the former insist that they are all evil” – She crossed her arms – “If you want my opinion, I think the only one who knows it well enough would be the chaos priest himself.”

-“The priest?” – Bastet narrowed his eyes – “He used the curse to drag us into this mess. One wrong move and it would’ve been all over. How can we trust what he says now?” – Basted stroked his chin and pondered. Either the baron was right and the priest had to die for the good of all mankind, or the priest was right, and the monster had to be tamed. It was a difficult choice; one that Ariadne’s curse wouldn’t allow him to walk away from. But it was his choice. He escaped Stormbridge in order to have this degree of freedom. He had to decide whether the priest deserved to live or die. And if the answer was the latter, he had to figure out how to do it.

-“Can you fight?”

-“Does it look like I can fight?” – Lilian said in a voice that almost came out as a yell as she coiled her fingers around her upper arm – “They’re twigs. I haven’t had a proper meal in like what, four months?”

They could maybe set fire to the barn, or find other ways to ambush the priest. But the issue was, they had to talk to him first in order to know what the right decision would be – and the huge centipede was just inside. He would have to fight it off. – “What’s the best scenario we can expect here?”

-“Best scenario?” – Lilian tilted her head – “Both of them die. Rids the world of two monsters.”

-“What do you mean?” – Bastet looked puzzled, but Lilian chuckled.

-“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed why his monsters are so humanlike.”

But it seemed that their conversation would have to come to an end. Bastet grabbed the hilt of Silverlight, and a white mist coiled around his forearm. The approaching monsters seemed wary to come any closer – “We should hurry.”

***

The longer they walked, the more monsters followed after them. But they merely escorted them to the barn, keeping a fair distance away from the reach of Silverlight. To his left was a horseman with legs of a spider, and antlers of a stag beetle. And right next to it, a wiggling, fat worm with a dozen pairs of human lips on its body, each begging to be saved in a different voice. It was grotesque, but what of it? The real monster they faced was the very essence of fear. This seemed like stuff of lullabies in comparison.

-“Welcome back, Wesians. I see that you are in one piece.” – The priest’s gaze stopped on Silverlight, and he made a grimace as he complained – “I see that you come armed with quite an artifact. But please, relax, I don’t think there will be a need to use it.” – He ordered the monsters surrounding him to back down.

-“And I see that your leg has recovered. Quite miraculously, I may add. Didn't think it was possible to grow it back.” – Bastet squinted. – “What was that about you being unable to bring the monster its meal by yourself?”

-“It was a lie, I admit. But it is true that I wish to tame the monster. Or should I stop calling it a monster already?” – He chuckled as the centipede circled around him – “I wished to see… what it would do. And I suppose that sword on your waist means I guessed right. To tame it, I need to crush its will and spirit; give it a hope that it can escape, and then take that hope away.”

-“You’re the one who summoned it” – Lilian interfered – “You should know better than anyone that it can’t be tamed.”

-“But striving for the impossible is the very nature of an artist” – The priest looked up – “Anyone who doesn’t have that kind of resolve will never be worthy of taking the seat as the next Maker... Just imagine. A man who can commands gods, would that not make for the greatest of epics?”

-“It wants you to free it” – Bastet counted the monsters in the barn. There were seven of them, but there were much more waiting outside. – “It wants to save the world from the decay.”

-“Oh, if only. Its full power is remarkable, no doubt, but not to the point where it could do something like that. It is just a fragment of a god after all. And don’t try to make sense of its motives” – The priest shook his head – “You must be willing to abandon reason to reach what is beyond understanding. It is with ignorance that you come closer to the unknowable.” – he petted the centipede’s head – “I will not set it free. And you shouldn’t think of siding with it either. It would wreak havoc on the world. The only reason why it is behaving itself right now is that it can’t do any significant harm.” – The priest cleared his voice – “I have… many ideas to weaken its will. But if you do not wish to help me any further, you are completely free to leave this place.”

-“And you? What will you do after we leave? Shall you try to summon more barons?” – Bastet gripped the handle of his sword.

-“More of them? No!” – The priest protested – “Do you see any virgins chained here? And gods is it difficult to get my hands on the ones with a good story! It makes for a better canvas if there’s a tragedy in their past and they are filled with regret.”

At last, Bastet understood the meaning behind Lilian’s words. What happened in this temple was unforgivable.

-“But when I do get them, then of course! I will try to summon barons that contradict each other, that annihilate each other. If that doesn’t weaken them, then what will?!”

Yes, the choice was clear now. The priest of chaos didn’t know the true nature of the beings he was playing with – he left those specifics to chaos itself, to chance. And someone who kept gambling was bound to lose. If he continued summoning more barons, then it was just a matter of time until his luck would run out, and he would meet his end at the hands of a being more powerful than he could bind. It was inevitable. Perhaps all the barons really are evil. But even then, it would be better to have one baron wreaking havoc, than to have many of them.

Bastet caught Lilian’s gaze, and she shallowly sighed. She was more perceptive than him, so she understood. She tugged on his sleeve and whispered – “Look away when I tell you”.

Lilian clutched the book in her arms. With a whimper, she opened it facing towards the priest – “Now!” – And with the parting of its thick covers, the familiar malevolence spread through the air. A book received from a chaos baron, just like in the Chronicles of Merax. If it was anything like in that story, the book would be a grimoire – it would hold secrets to powerful magics, but in return, it would shatter any mind who dared to glance within it.

The monsters growled. What was left of human reason within them was now gone, so there was nothing left to listen to the priest’s orders anymore. The centipede who was wrapped around him was the first to dig its antlers into his bowels. Immediately after, a shrill laughter pierced their skull. They were looking away, but the shadows from the candle revealed the truth of what was happening. A long tentacle slithered out of the grimoire, and coiled around the priest’s neck as a choir of voices rejoiced, pulling him into the book – Your torment will be eternal.

With the contract broken, the baron could finally appear in all of its monstrosity. Bastet and Lilian were hurled outside as they smashed against the expanding tentacles. The barn could not contain its new size, and it collapsed around it – Ah, my saviors. – The voices laughed – Is that what you are waiting to hear? You, who insulted me, refusing my will? – The darkness shot forward and instantly caught up with them. With one big swing, the tentacle curled around them and lifted them up, bringing them closer to the bottomless pit that was its mouth – Your reward will be eternal life. I shall preserve your souls within me.

The grip of the shadow around his waist felt cold. Bastet tried to struggle, but he could not break free. He kicked around with his legs, but he only hurt Lilian who was squashed against him. He tightly shut his eyes as the monster pulled them closer. It happened too fast for him to have any articulate last thoughts. He felt fear, anger, disappointment, and resignation. That is not how he wanted to meet them, but there are no differences in oblivion; he would at last be one with his family.

He felt no pain when something immaterial bit into him. But as soon as it did so, the tentacle that held them began to wriggle. The thousand voices of children all screamed in pain – Argh! Curse you! – Bastet opened his eyes and saw that the shadow’s surface appeared to be cracked, with many strange shapes bubbling out of it. – Who are you?! – With the shadow dissipating into mist, Bastet and Lilian were dropped to the ground.