Sarkar

This is so embarrassing.

"What of the girl?" the chorister of Regina demands, the rest of her sisters silent. Everyone is, of course, ignoring the fact that I'm rolling all over the length and breadth of the private prayer chambers.

"We've retrieved the orphan girl," one of the priestesses answers, "Reina, I believe. We are ready to begin the trials as early as tomorrow."

"Excellent." the blue robed woman says imperiously, "And what about -"

"REE!" I shout at the top of my lungs to relieve the monotony of rolling about on the floor.

"Your holiness, is it really alright to -" the priestess cautiously asks.

"Yes, yes its fine." the chorister of Bernadette replies this time, "She is one of the Chorus, one of our sisters, regardless of how she acts."

"REE!" I yell again, in affirmation of the vote of confidence. Its touching, especially after the Chorus knows the truth.

"She's getting feces all over the carpet." the priestess notes sourly.

Of course I'm getting feces all over the carpet. You think anyone likes wearing clothes stained with shit? If I didn't need to act like a mad woman I would have burned these robes a long time ago.

"You know about Haiwal's curse." the chorister of Regina takes up the conversation tiredly, "Our sister knows no better, the goddess of fang and horn is not gentle with her favored."

"Of course your holiness." the priestess says solemnly her demeanor prim and proper as can be. I can nevertheless catch the glint of contempt in her eyes, directed at me.

"And what about Nomi?" the chorister of Regina continues, urgency in her voice, "Has the team we sent found her yet?"

"The team is still underway." the priestess sniffs as I roll right up to her feet, "Rais Land is a long way from the Citadel."

"How much longer?" the chorister of Regina snaps in irritation.

Before the priestess can answer, I get back to my feet and begin wiping my shit stained sleeve against her face. The priestess gives me a look of raw disgust but keeps her peace. As the chorister of Bernadette said, I am, no matter what, one of their sisters.

And a mere priestess of the Cathedral cannot show disrespect to one of the Chorus.

"I ... I ... "the priestess gags as she struggles to avoid throwing up from the stench of shit rubbed into her face.

"REE!" I lean over, screeching directly into her ear.

The door to the private chamber opens and a small boy carrying a leather bag walks in, drinking a glass of water while smacking his lips. He looks curiously at the elemental struggle going on between feces and the immortal human will.

Feces wins.

The priestess dry heaves and runs out of the room. The boy takes the opportunity to close the door with a soft click as he regards me with a critical gaze.

"Was that necessary?" Wu asks mildly.

"I need to stay in character." I shrug, standing to my full height and no longer bothering with making animal noises.

"Or maybe you're just annoyed that the priestesses don't let you stay in the Cathedral most of the time." Wu responds with a thin smile.

"My apartment here is hardly used." I complain, "Its only recently with all the excitement going on that the priestesses no longer bother sending me back to the Concrete Desert."

"Bastard." the chorister of Bernadette curses, her eyes shooting fire, "That's exactly where you belong."

"Be quiet." Wu purses his lips, "I won't say it another time."

"Don't act as if we aren't here!" the chorister of Bernadette growls as the rest of the chorus make unhappy noises as well.

From the shadows behind the chorister of Bernadette, a pair of elderly men materialize from nothingness. Wu sighs theatrically as the Chorus squawks in collective surprise at the new arrivals. Without wasting any time, the pair of men deliver a tight slap to the chorister of Bernadette, one on each cheek.

"You hit me," the chorister of Bernadette sobs, "You actually dare to hit me?"

Wu doesn't bother to answer and instead grunts at his Ego and Id, both of them still flanking the noisy woman. Ego roughly grapples the chorister and tears off her veil, revealing an incredibly attractive woman with delicate features. Clamping his hand on the chorister's jaw, Ego forces her mouth open. Id then reaches into the woman's mouth, pulling fiercely at her tongue.

"Wu, isn't this going too far?" I object as politely as I can, feeling guilty over what is happening. These women trusted me, and I ultimately betrayed that trust. The rest of the chorus looks away, fearful of inviting Wu's anger.

"You are too soft with them." Wu comments disapprovingly, "That's why they do not understand the gravity of their situation."

"But still -" I try to rebut.

"She doesn't need to speak for what comes next." Wu shrugs indifferently, observing the struggle between the Chorister of Bernadette against Ego and Id.

"Aaaaah" the woman cries, scratching at Id's hands while Ego resolutely holds her in place. Her tongue is not going to last much longer at this rate.

"Please, we'll do whatever you want." the Chorister of Regina pleads, lowering her head in a kowtow at both Wu and myself.

"You're going to do what we want anyway." Wu scoffs with a sneer on his face.

"Yes, because I can control them." I raise my voice slightly, putting some steel behind it, "Wu, there is no need for this. Let the Chorister go."

"Fine." Wu says after some thought, "It will be on your head then, Sarkar."

With a snap of his fingers Ego and Id dissipate, returning to Wu's soul. The Chorister of Bernadette slumps to the carpet, tears running freely down her cheeks while her sisters try to console her.

"Sister, no Sarkar," the Chorister of Regina speaks hesitantly, using my real name, "About Nomi, are you sure that she will be fine?"

"I wouldn't know." I shake my head, "I allowed you to send a team to retrieve her. That's the most help I can give you."

"I wanted to go with them," the Chorister of Regina's voice trails off helplessly, "to keep Nomi safe ..."

"We need the Chorus here." Wu blandly shoots down that suggestion before turning to me, "I have something to discuss with you Sarkar. Alone."

I nod in understanding and reach out with my soul, sensing my connection with the rest of the Chorus. The Divines are higher dimensional beings, but that doesn't mean their representatives can't share some similarities. Like the Divines, there are seven of us. Seven who are one.

I force the link between myself and the rest of the Chorus to open, and there's a surge of divine energy cresting within the depths of my soul, like a tidal wave about to slam into the shore. The favor of each of the Divines we represent. Power enough to keep the Citadel standing against the relentless attacks of the Consensus. The combined metaphysical weight is so hefty that when we sing as one through a transmission tower, the Divines themselves have to listen. But underneath that false, untrustworthy warmth, my soul churns with something else.

The power of humanity. Men who had outgrown their god.

The serum exultantly howls in my blood as I make the connection with my so called patron. Haiwal, goddess of fang and horn. Haiwal, the sadly deceased.

The dead do not reply. That is an inescapable fact that binds even a goddess. But that doesn't mean the line is being left unattended.

I open my lips and from it, the Tombstone Jammer speaks. A low crackling noise that immediately disperses the combined blessings of the entire Chorus. Unleashing the full weight of the Directorate upon my former "sisters", I command their silence and obedience.

"It is done." I tell Wu as the Chorus freezes in their respective places, joints locking up and their lips sealed shut by spasming muscles. A stifled groan is all the Chorus can muster against the Tombstone.

Wu merely gestures at the en suite washroom attached to the chamber and both of us head there in silence, letting the Chorus stew in their own impotence.

"Why did you agree to help the Chorister of Regina?" Wu asks the moment we have our privacy.

"It'll be helpful for the future." I reply, "Stealing away a Champion of Regina from the Cathedral is a grave offence. We could use this to mobilize the regular Valkyries against the Cathedral Knights."

"Even if the Leader says she authorized it?" Wu folds his arms, eyeing me dubiously.

"The Chorus will dispute this." I explain, "The Leader won't get out of this unscathed, especially if she openly draws our ire."

"I'll leave it to you." Wu opens his leather bag, revealing several medical needles filled with serum, "There's something else I need to tell you."

"There's less serum left than I expected." I comment, rolling up my sleeve and grabbing one of the needles.

"Precisely." Wu looks apologetic as he injects himself with a visible expression of relief, "I'm not going to last long Sarkar."

"Pardon?" I quirk my mouth in surprise.

"I'm actively deployed using a child's body." Wu grimaces, "I never had the time to subdue my host's psyche naturally."

"So what, you're brute forcing things?" I hazard a guess, "Using serum to suppress your host's opposition?"

"More than that." Wu takes another hit of serum as he speaks, "Toby here is troublesome. Uncooperative. I needed to get harsh."

"And by harsh you mean ..." I raise an eyebrow, knowing nothing good will come out of it.

"I damaged Toby's brain." Wu concludes, "It was the only way I could keep him quiet. The problem is, the damage is spreading. I can't remember parts of Toby's history."

"Your access could just be cut off." I suggest hopefully.

"Toby is too disabled to resist me." Wu shakes his head, "Without my presence, he would be reenacting your performance as Chorister of Haiwal."

"Damn." I curse, brushing dried feces off my robe, "His brain is dying for real then?"

"Most likely." Wu makes spreads his arms out helplessly, "I expect within a few months, my host would lose the ability to breathe without assistance."

"Lisa will ascend before then." I do some quick calculations in my head, "You have more than enough time to evacuate back to earth."

"I hope so, Sarkar." Wu shuts his eyes in contemplation.

"I hate leaving an assignment unfinished."