Exhumation: An Epic of Existentia (Acts of the Sojourner Book 1) Read online

  “What would you have me do, Quistin? We are here to maintain order amongst the people of Sanctuary, not to oppress them. This is a matter for the Tribunal to decide upon on, not us.” Pious turned to walk off, trying vainly to close the conversation as Quistin grabbed Pious by the shoulder.

  “Agree to the proposition – Impose the Suppression Law. Temporarily place the Authoritor Legion under the control of the Inquisition. We can end this madness,” he urged – passion and zeal brimming forth in his tone and expression.

  Pious shook his head slightly. “The Inquisition needs to know its place, and to know that our place is to keep ‘the people’, and ‘the powers’, of Sanctuary in check. I will never agree to such madness. The Ecclesiasts and their fossilised Inquisition have grown far too bold,” he said as he attempted to remove Quistin's hand.

  Quistin’s grip tightened, as Pious and Quistin’s eyes met in a challenging gaze. “They have assured me that we will maintain control in the Districts, that the measure is only temporary until we can root out and erase the heretics.”

  “Let the Advocates deal with the Daggers. Spies fight spies, Quistin. Just as soldiers, fight soldiers. It is simple. Leave it at that.”

  “It is not so simple, Pious. The Advocates recently uncovered a Shroud of Unrepentant meeting below Governor Hythax’s dwelling. Magister Hythax, Overseer Farnham, Kazier Blunz – all involved. The spread of the heretic is within these walls.”

  Pious was aware of the investigative and infiltration work of the Inquisition to uncover the wretched activities of that Shroud. Although only a small shroud of the three, the minimum required to convene a Shroud – it was the involvement of three senior Sanctum officials that shocked most – Pious included. What shocked Pious even further – was that Advocates had not achieved success in uncovering any activities of the Veiled Unrepentant. All activities of the Veiled had only ever been found after they had undertaken their insidious rituals.

  “Yes – and all shall be tried and punished accordingly,”

  Quistin shown a temporary moment of calm lucidity relaxed his grip and tapped Pious consolingly. “Look… The Imperator has promised that all will…”

  Pious snapped and forcibly removed Quistin’s hand. “The Imperator? The Imperator is not to be trusted, Quistin. He is a politician and a self-serving manipulator.”

  Quistin furiously pointed his finger at Pious. “You don’t even know the man, so how can you judge him?” he shouted.

  The old Magister rose from his bench, concerned over the volume of the dispute. He didn’t visibly appear to give it too much concern, however, as an altercation between Pious and Quistin was not entirely uncommon. But this was slightly different – as he could clearly hear the incensing topic. Only on few occasions was Lothar required to get between these two stubborn brutes.

  “Do you even hear yourself, Quistin? I don’t need to personally know a man to judge his actions and motives,” replied Pious. Pious paused and lowered his head, staring at the ground as Quistin glared at him with impatience. Pious eventually let out a sigh.

  “Do what you think is right for you, Quistin. If you want to become a Vindicator and manhandle those who the Inquisition commands, then you do that. I want you here with us. We need you – but we need you to keep sound judgement to do the right thing by all - and I won't sacrifice that for the sake of keeping your company. We shall speak of this no further. Stay or leave – but don't dally,” said Pious as he started walking towards Lothar and Jacq. Quistin followed not far behind and picked up his tunic from the surface of a bench, two benches down far from Jacq and the old Magister.

  “The Veiled Unrepentant will continue their ways unchecked, and the Daggers of Merusul will succeed in their task – if we stick to your conventional path of perpetual sympathy,” said Quistin with a calm and lecturing eloquence as he pulled his Praetorian Red tunic over his head, pushing his arms into the sleeves.

  He glanced over to Pious while he began donning his armour. “It won’t be long until they realise they outnumber us three–hundred to one,” said Quistin.

  Pious stopped, and stood still for a moment, staring at the floor. “It was you, wasn’t it?” he said, awaiting a response.

  “What are you talking about?” replied Quistin, taken aback by Pious’s question.

  “The order to burn the crops – the order came from you, didn’t it?”

  Quistin stood silently, his face showing no expression.

  Pious shook his head, still staring at the ground. “I heard rumours of it, but I chose not to believe it,”

  “The Unrepentant had tainted the crops with the Black,” replied Quistin, taking a step closer to Pious.

  “So, you chose to brutally punish the people of the Districts by destroying their already dismal food supplies?”

  “What choice did we have?”

  Pious walked towards Quistin, stopping a step away from him. “What do you mean, 'we'?” snapped Pious. Quistin stared back at him, expressionless.

  “Do you mean – you and the Imperator?” said Pious calmly – but with a restrained fury in his tone.

  He laughed, and took another step forward, considering Quistin’s deathly stare. “For now, you take your orders from me - not the Imperator. Your insubordination and reckless abuse of power will be discussed at the Cohort’s Forge. You’re dismissed.”

  “You’re making a terrible mistake, Pious. The supporters of Felixius are dead, or too old and frail to protect you – and I can’t, either.”

  Pious huffed and gave him a confident smile. “That’s fine. I will make my own mistakes, Quistin. I will not let anyone else convince me – to make theirs for them,” He turned his back on Quistin and walked over to Jacq, who was being kept at the old Magister’s side, picking up his tunic on the way.

  “Fuck!” shouted Quistin at the top of his lungs, slamming his fists downwards in frustration, as he stormed towards the Disciplinarium’s exit. He punched into one of wooden training dummies on his way out, smashing it into a shower of splinters.

  The Training Benches

  “You see that bench just there? The Wise and Noble Lumerus sat there once as a young recruit, waiting his turn to prove himself in the Trial. Do you know what happened when he first entered? He fell – and he fell hard, several times being dropped to the mat. But each time he fell, he arose stronger than the last…”

  Lecture to the Page-Wards in the Disciplinarium,

  Bren Steelflex, Authoritor Tribune of the 1st Overwatch Cohort.

  128th Cycle of Purity.

  Pious smiled at Jacq, trying to distract the boy from Quistin’s dramatic exit. “I think you need more practice with this than what we do, Jacq.” He pulled the training dagger from the back of his trousers and handed the dagger to the young boy, and followed up with a pat on the boy's mop of chestnut–coloured hair.

  “Why must everyone pat my head? I’m not a Faun!” exclaimed Jacq. He looked up at Pious. “Is Quiz okay?” he asked as he adjusted his dark green tunic and pants, the usual attire of a young Page-Ward in the custodial care of the Sanctum.

  “He is fine Jacq. Just a little tired, I’d say. Let’s give him some space,” said Pious. He pointed towards a young, dark-haired man, who was swinging his Hydraen Pine training sword in calculated and well–drilled movements. “Go and show Sincerus a thing or two about how to use a dagger!”

  Jacq ran off towards Sincerus, with training dagger in hand and ferocity in his eyes. Sincerus stopped his training strikes and movements as he noticed the young lad charging at him with dagger in hand. “Come on, little man!” Sincerus shouted at Jacq as he began parrying the boy's strikes.

  “1, 2, 3, Parry, 4, 5, 6 and Strike!” commanded Sincerus, paying attention to Jacq’s footwork and technique. Jacq concentrated deeply, taking heed of Sincerus’s instructions.

  Sincerus Parabellum was the most recent addition to the ranks of the Tribunes. He was much younger than most of his comrades, having seen only twenty-nine Cyc
les. Knownborn Sincerus was the son of the late Prime Prefect Felixius and was born into the ranks of the Praetorius.

  However, it was his discipline and ferocity in combat that had seen him attain and earn the rank of Tribune, not his Knownborn caste. Sincerus had the hallmark features of his father and the line of Parabellum: jet-black hair and dark green eyes. Sincerus had been at the side of his father when Felixius died, and bore witness to Felixius passing the Justblade, and thus the duty of the Prime Prefect to Pious.

  Sincerus had spent almost his entire life in the Asius realms and predominantly on the surface of Serica, training with the Tiger Guards of the Red Empress and had only returned to Alesia two Cycles past.

  Pious smiled at Jacq’s ferocity and diligence, as Jacq attentively parried and struck in time with Sincerus’s instruction. Pious turned, and walked towards the old Magister standing by the benches, who was sombrely observing Pious with concern.

  “You’re getting too old for this, Pious,” stated the Magister as Pious approached the elderly man and gestured for him to sit. They both sat down, with Pious slightly out of breath. The Magister offered a glass of water to Pious, along with a small white pill. Pious took the pill and placed it in his mouth, then drank the water and placed the glass on the bench.

  “Even without the Tolls, Lothar,” he said, “you still manage to turn up on time, every time, with this filthy little pill.”

  “If you prefer madness and hallucinations, Pious – then don’t take it,” Lothar replied in a frustrated tone.

  Although Magister Lothar Desgauliers was living in his waning years and becoming more irritable by the Pass, he was still very able and capable, and a great confidant and father figure to Pious. Lothar had long since retired from active service as High Inquisitor Praereptor and was now in his retirement commission as a Tribunal Magister – a commission distinguished by his Magistratum Blue tunic, with Ecclesiasticum Purple hem embroidery – obscured by his thick, hooded travellers’ cloak.

  Although Pious was considered Underborn by most of Sanctuary, it was recounted by Lothar that Pious was the son of Ulaana Argentum and a father of unknown origin. Ulaana was the daughter of an Operarium Governor, Fohault Desgauliers, and likewise the niece of Magister Lothar Desgauliers. It was said that after the birth of Pious, Ulaana threw herself from the Sky–Ring to her death far below, leaving Pious an orphan and thus a Page–Ward of Sanctum. Pious was taken as an infant to be raised on the planet of Serica in the Asius realms, with the late Prime Prefect Felixius and the Ultimus Legion.

  Pious had very dark and distorted memories, having no recollection of anything before the last nine cycles, with the past nine being somewhat of a blur as well. Pious and a handful of others in the 1st Ultimus Legion Cohort were said to have sustained significant mental trauma in an incident while fighting during the Gunnish during the Serican Rebellions. After a bombardment of the horrendously debilitating Gunnish Mind-Shot, those effected were afflicted with seemingly irreversible amnesia and mental imbalances, destroying any memories before their recovery and treatment – the terrible side effects of the psychotropic Mind-Shot.

  Fortunately for Pious, many of his comrades and adversaries could vouch for his presence and actions during most of the past nine Cycles. Upon his return from Serica, Pious commanded several peace-keeping and defence missions during the tumultuous times that arose during the restructuring of the Marches.

  Magister Lothar kept a close eye on Pious, reassuring him about any doubts that entered his mind. Pious would ponder

  Only four of those involved in the incident had survived their injuries – Excelators Pious Argentum, Aurelius Vim, Jarus Arman and Excelatrix Tana Vindicta. Tana and Aurelius were fortunate to not be haunted by the distorted hallucinatory visions and melancholy that plagued Pious and Jarus.

  Jarus, once a close friend of Pious, had disappeared during the previous Cycle in the depths of Tenebrae, after stopping his treatments unannounced. These treatments, the same treatments prescribed to the other four by the Medici, were meant to suppress the visual and auditory hallucinations caused by their injuries. After the treatments' effects subsided, Jarus's broken memories caused such unbearable disturbances to his mental balance and fortitude that he fled from Sanctuary and had yet to return.

  Jarus and Pious had been inseparable and akin to the fiercest of brothers. In fact, most people mistakenly took them for brothers, as they shared many physical traits.

  Pious stretched his arms out along the top of the bench's backrest. “Come on, Lothar. Relax, will you,” he said, as he jestingly pushed the old man on the shoulder.

  “Have you heard from Excelatrix Vindicta?” asked Lothar, as he watched Sincerus and Jacq play–fighting in the distance. Before answering Lothar, Pious deftly placed his hand to his mouth and removed the tablet which he had hidden under his tongue. He swiftly placed it into his pocket.

  “No – not yet. I hope she is all right. The Tollspire isn’t exactly a safe place with all those damned automatons roaming around,” replied Pious. “It is very bizarre without the Tolls echoing throughout Sanctuary – it is almost impossible to keep track of time.”

  “Well – it won’t matter for long; Nox is showing its ugly face. Tenebrae will be upon us soon enough.”

  “Exactly. I hope Tana is back before the fog descends. If she took a Qulin from the stables, she should be back inside the walls before the onset of Tenebrae,” said Pious, stretching his shoulders.

  Pious laughed to himself; as he spotted Jacq deftly punch Sincerus in the stomach. “Anyway – how did Jacq take the news?”

  “Quite well, actually. Jacq said he had a feeling. Did you mention anything?”

  Pious started pulling on his boots. “No. He is a smart lad. He would have figured it out eventually.”

  “He did ask why there were so many orphans in the Sanctum,”

  Pious chuckled. “I told you, the lad is smart. It’s a rather valid question – did you have an answer?”

  Lothar grumbled to himself. “If I could explain why people die easier than they breed, I would have an answer,”

  He looked at Pious’s worn boots, and then looked at Pious. “It is time you retired, Pious,” he stated.

  “Not this again, Lothar.” Pious tightened the straps on his boots, pulling the strap tight through the buckle, locking it in place with two pins.

  “What about Serana? Do you not care for her? I have told you that you should leave here with that fine woman – much finer than you deserve, for the way you keep her distant,” said Lothar. “Go to Serica, Pious. This place is running its final course.”

  “Lothar – I said, not this again.”

  Lothar watched the discontent growing on the younger man's face. “Pious, you have seen the bounties of the Asius realms. You said so yourself that you have never seen a place so glorious as the subterranean gardens of Xia. Look around you here – look at Sanctuary. Where are those bounties here? Sanctuary is doomed, Pious. We are a Faun in its death throes.”

  “That’s enough!” snapped Pious. He stared across the room, restraining his thoughts and tongue.

  “It has been almost ten cycles since you returned. You have wed, albeit in secret and in direct contravention of the law – yet you continue like this,” said Lothar. He looked sadly at the ground. Pious watched him with concern.

  “Yes, Lothar – but I cannot sire children.”

  “I’m sorry, Pious, but you are not the only one affected by this scourge.”

  “Zosim says it’s the treatment. That the harsh extracted compounds are causing my infertility.”

  “Don’t listen to him. You know what Zosim is like with his strictly organic methods of Alchemy. You just need to get away and rest. You haven’t fully recovered, Pious – and you are grinding yourself into your own early grave.”

  Pious stared at Lothar, who was rubbing his hands together uneasily and staring at Jacq, expressionless except for slight signs of fear. “Lothar, you’re rubbing your
hands – Something else is bothering you. Speak openly, my friend.” He patted the old man on the back, concerned by Lothar’s expression.

  “Besides your reluctance to leave this place?” Lothar asked. “The boy asked me about Sanguinus Venomax.”

  Pious’s eyes brimmed with curiosity and concern. “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. The boy said he dreamt of it. What is troubling, Pious –” Lothar paused briefly and sighed in disbelief. “– is that from his dream, he recounted aspects of an Ormish ritual, in detail,”

  Pious looked Lothar straight in the face. “We cannot let the Inquisitors hear of this until we can become better informed,” he said. Lothar nodded in approbation.

  “Where would Jacq hear of such things?” continued Pious, with an expression of disgust.

  “I don’t know. What if – they came from his dreams?” Lothar stared at two faint scars on the palm of his hand, akin to a bite mark, and continued to rub his hand nervously.

  “That’s impossible, Lothar,” said Pious dismissively, as he replaced his tunic.

  “You must tell the boy not to mention anything further about the snakes or his dream. He trusts you and will listen to your words.”

  “I will, Lothar,” confirmed Pious. He replaced his teal–enamelled brass vambraces and pulled the strapping tightly into place, then looked towards Jacq and Sincerus, who were in the middle of an obviously unfair play–fight.

  “Jacq!” shouted Pious, waiting for the boy’s attention. Jacq stopped his frenzied attack on Sincerus, who was holding the boy at arms–length by the head.

  “Yeah?” Jacq shouted from across the room.

  “I think you should spare Sincerus’s life! We had better take you back to the Page quarters, or else we will all face more wrath than what is due from Matron Layla!” shouted Pious, gesturing with his hand to Jacq.

  Sincerus let go of Jacq’s head. Jacq took a few paces backwards, before pointing the training dagger at Sincerus.