PREFACE: So here is the long-awaited final installment in this three-part story. This one came out so much longer than what I’d expected, but I’m quite happy with the result. Hope you’re liking the ride so far and that you’ll enjoy this last bit as well. And if you missed the beginning, you can read it here. Only missed part 2? No problem. It’s right here.
XX.
The next day, we set out to find the Codex. And though Malius could not say for sure where it was, he guessed at the most likely options.
We went through a series of tunnels and as we walked, I saw hundreds more men—all very focused, all wearing swords.
“I knew the Cult was big, but I would never have guessed at these numbers...”
Malius bobbed his head.
“Recruitment has been a major focus of the Cult for the past few decades. They are very good at it. Very covert, too.”
“How do you mean?”
We took a few turns and he waited for a more isolated hall before he spoke.
“Have you ever noticed, eddo, how the population of San Sanea has dwindled?”
Somewhat startled by the turn of conversation, I shrugged. “You know how we are. People get bored. Move away. Find other places to be, other things to do...”
He glanced at me. “And they never return? Not in a thousand years?”
I frowned. “Well, we can’t be sure they never come back...”
“Have you ever seen any new faces in town, eddo?”
“I hardly know everyone.”
“But you agree the city’s population has shrunk?”
“I believe that’s a fair assessment.”
“Do you think people only get bored in San Sanea?”
“The condition affects all Satlaneans.”
“Then why are people not coming to San Sanea from other cities, seeking new thrills there?”
I remained silent for a moment—in part because we had reached a more animated section of the maze, but mostly because I was stunned by what Malius was implying.
It seemed so obvious now that he stated it so plainly.
Where were all these people going?
I snapped my head and stared at Malius, and noticed he was watching me closely. He bobbed his head sadly.
“You can’t mean what I think you’re meaning...”
“People disappear everywhere, eddo. Not just in San Sanea. The entire population of Satlanea has shrunk significantly in the past two decades.” He waved a hand around. “How do you think the Cult grew so quickly? It is easier to convert people who are here than those outside. So they take in strays, lonely people, criminals on the run... all the lost and the broken. Anyone who wants to disappear ends up here, along with a few others who disappear whether they want to or not. They are fed the Cult’s propaganda until they break and become zealots. For most, it doesn’t even take so much breaking. The Cult gives them purpose and a family, which is all these people ever wanted.”
“I can’t believe it’s that easy...”
“We all have cracks in our souls, eddo. It is only a matter of finding them and prying them open, then pouring filth and malice into that gap until it overflows. Do you think they care if the person goes mad?” He shook his head. “They all are. Insanity here is the norm. It is a requirement, and it is cherished.”
“You seem level-headed enough.”
Malius grimaced. “I have my share of cracks, but I was a valuable associate who lived in the outside world, so I did not go through the ‘guidance’ those who live here must endure. I witnessed it, though.”
We stopped at the entrance of a large chamber and he peered inside, looking from one side to the other. Right in the middle stood a statue of emerald and jade, at least five times the height of a man, the top of its head brushing against the stone ceiling.
“Where are we?” I asked.
He pointed toward the statue.
“That’s a representation of Siis. There are only four like it in these tunnels, all of them in special places. Behind this one is a door that leads to the Mother’s private archives. All the Cult’s most precious devices and artifacts are stored there.”
“No guards?”
He shrugged. “What for? There are only zealots here. No thieves. Come.”
We easily made our way through the chamber and inside the next room. This one was obviously man-made from its rectangular shape and smooth marble surfaces. Shelves hung on the walls with piles of items. There were two more doors in the back and four messy desks in the middle. A man sat behind one and lifted his head as we entered. His brows furrowed as he looked between the two of us.
“Yes? Yes? What is it? What do you want?”
Malius took a step forward, straightened, and spoke with more confidence than I’d ever heard from him.
“Mother Athinea sent us to get the Sadin Codex. Go fetch it. And hurry! We don’t have all day.”
The man stared at us. “The Codex?”
“Are you deaf?”
“For Mother Athinea?”
“We are on an errand on her behalf,” he stated.
“Is that so?” asked a new voice from behind us. A woman’s voice.
We spun around and saw a tall woman with long black hair and dark blue eyes. But what struck me most about her was her right hand—it was made of glass.
A cruel smile formed on her lips when she saw Malius.
“Nelius dear! How lovely of you to drop by for a chat. It’s been awfully long, hasn’t it?”
XXI.
Malius’ jaw dropped to the floor, and he stared at the woman in disbelief. A woman I figured could only be Athinea herself. I noticed the man’s eyes were fixed on her glass hand and guessed he hadn’t known about it.
She must have noticed too, because she lifted the hand and waved it around.
“Ah. This. Yes, of course. I suppose it must be a shock to you. Just a small price I had to pay when I took Cousin Titus’ spot at the top. Poor fellow is rotting in the dungeons now. He took my hand, but I took his eyes. I suppose he must have grown them back by now. Ripped them out and fed them to my Lupus.” She leaned down and I only noticed then a large black-furred wolf that had trotted in behind her. It lifted its head as she made to pat it. “You loved the taste, didn’t you dear?”
The animal licked its lips as if it understood her.
She looked up at us, still bent and patting. “You know what the nice thing is about our people? We grow everything back. Unless it’s turned to ice and broken off like my hand was. Wicked thing, that. But I was careful not to do that to my dear old friend Titus. Oh no. I want his eyes to grow back so I can feed my Lupus his new favorite dish, again and again. Isn’t that wonderful? Of course, he has to wait for the eyes to grow back, but that’s alright. He’s a very patient one. Aren’t you, dear?”
The wolf huffed, and the woman grinned.
She straightened.
“You’re being very rude, Nelius. That’s so unlike you.” She pointed at me. “You still haven’t introduced your friend.”
Malius gulped and bobbed his head.
“This is Brother Quintus. A new recruit.”
“Has he gone through guidance yet?”
“No. But he’s very pious.”
“Is he now?”
Her piercing gaze fell upon me. I held my breath, fearing she would see through my disguise, but I saw no spark of recognition.
She suddenly snapped her head toward the man behind the desk.
“You! Haven’t you heard what my dear friend said? Go get the Codex. Now!”
The man jumped out of his chair, turned, and hurried out.
She stared at his back until he was gone, then turned her cruel smile toward Malius.
“I laid with him a couple of times. Might do so again. He doesn’t look like much, but he is quite wild in bed. More so than you, dear. Though, to be fair, even a chicken would be more fun than you.”
Aside from her biting words, the room had gone very quiet. I couldn’t even hear our breathing. I dared not look at Malius, guessing at the shame he must feel.
She laughed. “Seriously? You still have feelings for me? Come now, don’t deny it. I can read it plainly enough. How pathetic. I never loved you, you fool! Don’t you see? I seduced you to draw you in, then manipulated you so you would get us the weapons we needed. The power I had over you gave me clout within the Cult, which I leveraged to rise up the ranks. I suppose I should thank you for making me our Cult’s supreme leader.”
When neither of us spoke for a while, she sighed.
“You two are no fun at all. Fine. How about you tell me what you are doing here?”
“Athinea, I—”
She half-shouted. “No! You will call me Mother, you worm. Like everyone else.”
The room went quiet again.
I realized Malius was frozen, and I couldn’t blame him.
So I took a step forward and straightened.
“Begging your pardon, Mother.”
Her eyes turned to me.
“Yes?”
“We thought to bring the book to you. It was my idea.”
“Really? And why would you do that?”
“There is power in the Codex. All of Satlanea hangs on its every word. It has occurred to me that were we to change its meaning in subtle ways, we could change the beliefs of our people.”
She squinted at me.
“Truly remarkable,” she muttered. “And how did you know the Codex was here?”
“I helped Licius Arsus obtain it for you.”
“I see. How interesting.”
She glanced between the two of us, tapping her lips thoughtfully.
The door behind us swung open and the man returned, holding the Sadin Codex in both hands. He held it out for her and she tore it out of his hands.
“Good boy,” she hissed before glaring at us. “You two, follow me.”
She turned and walked out. The wolf waited for us to go through the door before closing the march.
XXII.
Athinea started speaking as she walked, not bothering to look at us. All I could see was her bare back, her long legs, and her swaying hips.
“The Codex is a lie,” she said. “Has always been. But that is about to change, and there will be nothing subtle about it. We will show the people the truth. How Siis came before all the other gods. Oh, they’re real enough. People think we don’t believe in them. We do. But they are subservient to Siis. Just like my pets are subservient to me.” She gestured casually at the men and women who fell to their knees all around her as she walked. “I could ask them to do anything and they would do it. Ah! Yes! What a splendid idea. I shall prove my point. I love proving my points.”
She suddenly stopped, and I nearly bumped into her. The wolf growled, and I stepped back.
Athinea swung and motioned toward a woman.
“You! Come here.” The woman stood and stepped forward. “Take your clothes off. All of them. Yes, yes, even your panties. Come now, don’t be shy. We’re between friends.”
Despite the words of the Mother, there was no hesitation in the other woman’s gestures. She did exactly as she was told, then just stood there naked in front of the assembled crowd.
“Wonderful! Now. I would like to prove my point to my friends. You’ve done half the job already, congratulations.” She turned toward a man and motioned for him to approach. “You. Yes, you. Draw your sword. Splendid.” She turned to the woman. “What’s your name, girl?”
“I am Sister Faella.”
“Faella. Yes. And you?” she asked the man.
“Brother Julius.”
“Very well. So here is what you will do. Faella. You will stand where you are and not move a muscle as our friend here, Julius, stabs you with his sword. Is this understood?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Splendid.” She turned to the man. “If you’re not too stupid, you must have understood your part. Yes, Julius? Can you tell me what you are to do?”
“I am to stab her.”
“Precisely. Right here.” She pointed at the woman’s chest, where her heart was. “Hit her as hard as you can, and leave the sword there.”
“Athinea, I really don’t—”
She turned and slapped Malius across the face.
“You will call me Mother! Was I not clear before?”
He stumbled back and grunted, rubbing a hand against the red mark on his cheek.
She glared at him for a moment, then looked back at the two who still stood there, waiting. The cruel smile returned.
“Good. We’re all set. Go ahead, Julius. Have fun.”
The one named Julius lifted his blade, let out a gut-wrenching roar as he drove his sword deep into the naked woman’s chest. She made no attempt to avoid the blade, merely closing her eyes. When it struck her, she screamed and fell to the ground as blood gushed out from the wound.
Athinea laughed.
“Wonderful! Wasn’t that lovely?” She made a dismissive gesture toward the convulsing body. “Do with her as you will. Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I want to show you something. Come along, friends!”
XXIII.
She led us down dark tunnels that got even darker as we went. All around us rose moans and sobs and groans of pain.
I glanced at Malius, but he was staring at the floor, a hand still pressed against his reddened cheek. He looked dejected and broken.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked as apprehension wove its web inside me.
She chuckled. “Ah, curiosity! I adore curiosity. Did you know it was my own that made me who I am? Well, no, of course, how could you know, but it’s true! I was so curious about the world, about the gods, that I searched and searched until I learned about Siis. Isn’t it curious that no one ever talks about him? Outside of the Cult, that is. They don’t teach about Siis anywhere else. But I found someone who taught me. And everything became so clear. But it wasn’t enough. Oh, no! I needed more. I was so hungry for more. Knowledge is such a precious commodity. Especially for our kind, don’t you think? We know so much and yet so little. Well, I could sense there was more to learn here, but the secrets were well hidden. Kept by our once Father Titus. But, just like Lupus, I can be very patient. Oh, yes. Very patient indeed. So I bided my time. And rose through the ranks. Until finally...”
She stopped at a door, grabbed a key that hung on the wall, and unlocked it. She swung the door open and moved to the side, gesturing for us to look within.
I felt a knot in my stomach as we just stood there, frozen.
What was this?
Was she going to lock us up in there?
Seeing my expression, she laughed.
“Don’t be silly! You are a true believer, aren’t you? Then you will understand. But you must see to believe. To truly believe. Oh, yes, you must see.”
I glanced at Malius.
“Forget about him,” she hissed. “He is useless. More than useless. A wreck. A rag. Worn-out and tossed.” She chuckled at her poor excuse for a joke. “This is not about him. It is about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes! You have seen the light. At least part of it. You deserve to see more.”
Frowning, I stepped toward the door and peered inside.
It was a vast and empty room, filled with dust and cobwebs. Along the far wall, a dozen crosses had been erected. On ten of them hung naked bodies, hands and feet nailed to the thick wood.
I jerked back, feeling nauseous at the sight of the wailing men and women.
Athinea’s voice whispered in my ear, her hot breath warming my cheek. I felt her fingers caressing my shoulder.
“Those are all our former leaders. Do you see? Do you understand now?”
Her wolf trotted into the room and stopped at the feet of one of the crosses. It sat on its haunches and panted, staring up at the writhing form above.
She glanced at the beast without letting go of me. “Are his eyes back yet? No? Pity.”
It was an ancient practice. A barbaric one our history books claimed was common in the early days of Satlanea. When we could still die, some deemed this a fitting punishment for criminals.
But now that we lived forever?
I could not begin to comprehend the horror of what these people had to endure.
Her next words sent a chill down my spine.
“I can’t wait for the day I’ll join them.” She pointed toward an empty cross at the end of the line. “That one’s for me. Isn’t it pretty?”
I nearly called her mad to her face, but I held back. It would do no good. But I needed to understand. This was not about seeking a thrill, nor was madness an excuse for such cruelty. There was something else going on here.
Turning to face her, I said the only word I could say without my voice breaking up. “Why?”
She rested both her arms on my shoulders—the Codex hanging from her glass hand—pressed her forehead against mine, and locked eyes with me. That wicked smile was still there, taunting me.
“There is power in pain, love. The more of us are on those crosses, the more powerful we grow. It is quite simple, really. Quite beautiful, too. Nothing can stop this. No matter what happens. Whether we succeed in our war or not, this...” She gestured toward the crosses, though her eyes never left mine. “This is forever. Ah, I can just taste it.” She licked her lips, her smile widening.
I have witnessed madness before. It is everywhere. But never had I seen it go so far. Nor was it just this woman. All these people were insane. And while the madness I knew rarely harmed others than the one concerned, these people endangered all of us.
“What about the Codex?” I asked.
She shrugged, still holding me close to her. I could feel her breath against my face as she spoke.
“We rewrote it.”
“What?”
Athinea chuckled. “Do you know how many people have held it in their hands, let alone read it? Not so many as you might think. Oh, of course, most everyone knows its contents, but not firsthand. It was not so difficult to replace. We only needed the original so we could make our physical copy look genuine enough.”
Such brilliance from such a sick mind was baffling.
“Now,” she continued, “it’s only a matter of getting it into the hands of the right people before we set the streets on fire.”
Her left hand went to the back of my head as she brought her mouth closer to mine and stared straight into my eyes. She paused.
“I could swear your eyes were blue a second ago, but they’re brown now.”
Her fingers ran down to my neck, and she frowned.
“Your hair is shorter than it looks. What—”
Xen be damned!
She was about to unravel everything. I had to act now.
Before she could end her sentence, I pulled away, grabbed the book from her glass hand, shoved her into the room, and slammed the door shut. The key was still in the lock, so I turned it as Athinea got back to her feet and banged on the door, screaming through the barred opening at the top.
“Who are you? What are you doing? Let me out! NOW!”
Ignoring her, I spun and grabbed Malius by the arm. He was staring straight at Athinea, seemingly in shock.
“Snap out of it!” I shouted. “We need to go.” I pulled him behind me as I ran toward the tunnel we had come through. “I’ll need your help to get us back to the surface. Come on, Malius, I can’t do this alone!”
He slowly came to himself and bobbed his head as we ran.
“I... I’m sorry... I was... I don’t know...”
“Never mind. Just focus, alright? Do you know where we are?”
“No. But there are ways to find your way if you get lost.”
It took us an hour to reach the main tunnels. As we came nearer, we heard echoes of metal against metal.
“There’s fighting ahead!” he said.
“The Vigilēs must have arrived.”
He bobbed his head.
The Shrine was in total chaos. People were running everywhere. Screaming, fighting, dying.
I disabled the dissembler when I spotted the first Vigilēs and waved at them.
“Censor! We’ve been looking for you.”
“We need to block all the exits, make sure none of them escape.”
“Too late for that,” said a familiar voice. I turned and saw Faustus Felius coming toward me. “Quite a few got out. We never expected there’d be so many.”
I swore.
“Doesn’t matter,” muttered Malius. “There are more exits than you could find. You could never capture them all. I told you, eddo—”
I snapped at him. “Then why not give us all the exits beforehand?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know them all, eddo, or I would have. Like I said, I never lived here. Though I doubt even those who do could know them all.”
It took the Vigilēs several hours to get the situation under control. We locked all the Cultists we caught in the cells of their own Shrine. Athinea was dragged out screaming and kicking, all the while cursing at me. Her wolf was put to sleep with drugged darts. Those on the crosses were cut down and locked up with the others.
A small mercy.
Though many of them—Titus included—begged us to leave them on their crosses...
XXIV.
We have won.
So why is there such a bitter taste in my mouth?
This doesn’t feel like a victory.
It’s been three days and Malius’ words keep haunting me.
Because I now know the truth in them.
A war is coming.
And it will be ugly...
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Text (c) 2024 by Alex S. Garcia.
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