At long last, he had no strength left to hold on to the bars. He smacked down on the glowing floor of the cage. The heat went straight through his clothes and scorched his skin. Kasimirh screamed and writhed.
“What a shame that he’ll be sacrificed soon. I’m sure he could yield a lot of money as an attraction at the market,” someone laughed.
“Behold, the powerful sorcerer. Seize the opportunity to challenge him to do some magic, for just two coins. Who dares, who dares?” Ohkaté yelled, impersonating a market vendor.
A soldier threw two coins at him and took the torch from his hands. He pressed it against Kasimirh’s thigh. The sorcerer crawled away, but the man kept pushing. Others were paying Ohkaté as well.
“Jakob, help me!” Kasimirh screamed.
“Yes, Jakob, why don’t You help Your prophet? Then we’ll follow You as well. Show Yourself!” some of the men jeered.
Kasimirh tried to climb into the bars again, but the soldiers struck him down.
Lying on his back, he could see the other prisoners watching him. The women were holding their hands in front of their children’s eyes. Heat was tormenting Kasimirh’s shoulders, back and buttock.
Even though his followers were nearby, Kasimirh felt terribly alone. The torture brought back memories of Ferhdessar’s harassment. Back then, at the height of his despair, Jakob had appeared for the first time. Maybe He would come again to take care of him. Once more, Kasimirh begged God for help, but the prayer offered nothing more than a little distraction.
When the pain had become so unbearable that Kasimirh thought he was going to die, someone threw a bucket of water over him. The flames hissed loudly as they died out, and steam whirled around the cage, taking his breath away.
“Throw another bucket over him. He can’t die. He needs to be sacrificed,” Ohkaté ordered. More cold water washed over him. The cold that had inspired the soldiers to this ritual in the first place, was now welcomed wholeheartedly by Kasimirh.
As soon as the guards had left the courtyard, there came worried voices from several of the cells. Kasimirh pulled himself together and said in a firm voice: “Jakob will help me get through this. He will help you all.”
Then he turned on his side, because his burn wounds were less severe there, and pulled up his knees for a little protection from the cold night. Shivering with pain, he tried to focus his thoughts on other things, and to get some sleep. At the same time he fought his fatigue, because he was scared that he would never wake up again.
Kasimirh felt as if he had been awake all night when the gates were opened early the next morning. A group of men, the priest among them, walked onto the courtyard. Kasimirh tried to sit up, but every movement hurt. The sun was again shining mercilessly on his burns, and he couldn’t even bring the fingers of his left hand together any more, because of the blisters.
The priest gave him a satisfied look. “Pontifex Tehmuga will arrive shortly. I want you to be present when he‘s welcomed.”
The soldiers lifted the cage and carried it past the Jakobinians who were extending their arms through the bars of their cells. Kasimirh tried to put courage into his followers, but in his heart he feared there was nothing he could do for them.
The townspeople had gathered outside the gates. They started shouting abuse as soon as Kasimirh was carried out. The people used sticks to poke him through the bars. The blisters on his side and thigh burst open. Kasimirh hadn’t thought the pain could get any worse. He held on tight to the bars to remain standing, and resolved to kill every last one of these people as soon as he was free. They’d had their chance. Kasimirh hoped that Lilith would be back by then, so she could let them feel that the dragon hadn’t always been a figment of their imagination.
When they reached the town square, the soldiers lifted the cage onto a scaffold that they had built. There were ten poles ready for the executions. Kasimirh was feeling anxious. They weren’t going to kill him first, now were they?
“Don’t worry,” the priest hissed. “You’ll get to watch how you led your followers to their deaths. It’s a good thing that old traditions are reinstated. It will enhance the solidarity within the faith.”
“I’ll pray for the salvation of Jakob’s children, but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll find comfort in the fact that they joined Jakob in time and will live on in heaven.”
“Fool, if you hadn’t come here, they wouldn’t have to be killed. These executions are on you, not on me.”
“I’m not the one holding the sword.”
The priest stuck his hand between the bars and grabbed hold of Kasimirh’s hair. The sorcerer moaned as the man forced him to kneel. The train of the pontifex loomed up at the end of the road. A white coach was drawn by white horses. Men in blue robes surrounded the coach. The soldier at the front of the procession carried a banner that was weighed down by the gold thread it was embroidered with. Even though there was wind, the banner hung still. The gold glittered in the sunlight. The people cheered as the coach rode past them.
The coach stopped in front of the scaffold. Two soldiers opened the door. Kasimirh was probably the only one who could see pontifex Tehmuga as he got out of the coach, because the priest and his followers knelt so deep that their heads nearly touched the ground. Kasimirh, however, looked the pontifex straight in the eye. Of course this man was entirely clad in white, and Kasimirh wasn’t surprised that he suffered from obesity, either. He had a ring on each finger, gold bracelets around both arms, and around his neck hung a necklace with a big, square pendant set with gems. It was unbelievable that this man could live in such opulence while his subjects were starving. Yet, that inequality had made Kasimirh’s task easier.
When the pontifex had climbed onto the scaffold with great difficulty, everybody rose. The priest started speaking.
“Welcome, Pontifex Tehmuga, we are grateful that you have come.”
“Unfortunately, I came out of dire necessity. Is this the beast you spoke of?”
Kasimirh’s anger flared up. Who was the beast on this scaffold? The pontifex looked like a fattened swine. Tehmuga grabbed his chin as he glanced at Kasimirh, who was forced to kneel by the soldiers, who pushed him to the ground with their sticks.
“It’s fascinating how little remains when you take away their powers. This is almost a helpless, old man. Many would be misled by him if they saw him like this.”
Kasimirh gathered all his strength and stood up. He grabbed a stick from one of the soldiers and wanted to lash out at the pontifex. A sharp blow against his arm, however, made him drop the stick. Moaning, he clasped his arm.
A smile formed on the priest’s face. “You really are a helpless, old man. No one can help you, sorcerer. Where’s your God now?”
“All right, this is taking too long,” Tehmuga said, “The heathens will be punished. Bring me ten of those heretics.”
Some of the spectators cheered. Men and women, and even some children, were led past Kasimirh and tied to the poles.
The pontifex walked up to the prisoners and asked them all the same question: “Who is your God?”
One of the women hesitated before answering that she believed in Margal. Apparently her hesitation was reason enough to kill her anyway. The children repeated loudly what their parents had said. A man screamed that he served Margal, even before the question was asked. He was returned to the cells and a boy took his place. It was the child of the family that had been the first to convert to Jakob. His parents and sisters were still in the cells. Kasimirh had no difficulty imagining what had happened as he had been snatched away from his parents. His mother’s plea had been useless.
The pontifex looked down on the boy. “Who’s your God?”
The boy cried and looked at Kasimirh for help. The sorcerer smiled as the boy said in a tremulous voice: “Jakob is my God, He gave us food and protected us.”
An old woman forced her way to the front of the crowd. “Spare the children, Pontifex Tehmuga. They don’t know what they’re sa
ying.”
Another woman had come after her, trying to silence her. The pontifex gave her an inquisitive look.
“You think that we shouldn’t carry out Margal’s wishes?”
“Don’t do this,” the other woman whispered. “You’ll be killed as well and your death will be in vain.”
The woman looked from her to the pontifex, before she looked at the boy. Then she shook her head. “It will happen as Margal wishes,” she whispered hoarsely.
The two women took off as quickly as they could. The pontifex raised his hands towards heaven and said a prayer. When the priest handed Tehmuga a sword, the prisoners struggled to break free.
“Jakob! Give these people a grand reception in heaven,” Kasimirh prayed out loud. A soldier tried to silence him, but Kasimirh resisted and continued. “The pain they have to endure in Your name will be forgotten when they behold You in a few minutes.” He addressed the people who were looking death in the eye. “A life awaits you in heaven that’s a thousand times better than the life you’ve had here. In heaven, everyone is equal. There is no poverty. You will sit at Jakob’s feet and listen to His stories. He will fill your hearts with joy.”
His words had a calming effect on most of the prisoners, who had their eyes squeezed shut. They were undoubtedly focusing on Kasimirh’s words so as not to hear the other sounds. Some of them, however, were calling ever more loudly for Margal. Kasimirh didn’t feel sorry for them. On the contrary, the pontifex did them a favour by killing them. The pontifex performed his task without pause. Some people cheered, but the cheers soon changed into horrified screams, before everything became quiet.
“It’s done. You’re now in the hands of the Creator,” Kasimirh ended his prayer.
Unperturbed, Tehmuga turned around to face the crowd. His white robe was stained with blood. “Let this be an example. Margal is the only God and She doesn’t tolerate doubts. Tomorrow, there’ll be ten more executions, and the day after that, and the day after that. Just as long as it takes to Purify this town of the diabolical works of this sorcerer.”
22
Lilith was alone. For days – or was it weeks? – she had been gliding across a white, rolling plain on a dog sledge. The loneliness and cold had slowly taken a hold on her. At times, she burst out in anger for no reason. She’d yell against the powerful wind to drop. Of course, the wind didn’t listen to her. She was but a tiny speck in an immeasurable void. Something nature didn’t take notice of.
She hadn’t encountered any living thing, but she wasn’t sorry about that. The Inuuk had warned her about polar bears. Apart from them, there was little life here, except for the dragon, of course.
Lilith dreamed about him. Hope and fear took turns. She was curious about him, but she knew very well that he was going to want to know everything about her as well. Fortunately, most of her dreams were quickly erased from her memory. Lilith kept going, sometimes even without remembering where she was going. One thing she knew for sure: she didn’t want to go back to her old life, ever again.
Now she found herself on the edge of an entirely different landscape. Deep valleys loomed up in front of her. Blue icebergs rose up in random places in the landscape. Some were as big as the palace in Nadesh. The change shook her awake, and she enjoyed the landscape as it unfolded itself for her. Perhaps the dragon lived in this region.
Lilith turned around and said goodbye to the plain. Behind her, she saw a shadow looming up. For a moment she was afraid that it was a polar bear, but Lilith could tell by the elongated shape that it was a sledge. Maybe one of the Inuuk had come after her.
The figure let out a howl, and she was terror-stricken. That was Seraph! Lilith shouted at the dogs to run. She looked over her shoulder and saw that the Purified man had drawn up close to her.
“Faster!”
A tug on the sledge made the dogs obey. Snow flew up and the cold wind hit her in the face. They were descending at a terrifying speed. Lilith was almost catapulted off the sledge as she grabbed hold of the stick she used to gauge the depth of the snow.
“Right!”
The dogs, however, steered left, around a sloping iceberg. Seraph disappeared from view, but came back in sight only moments later. His dogs were determined to take over her team and take the lead. Lilith could hear the animals panting and the sound of Seraph’s sledge gliding through the snow.
“Lilith,” he screamed. “We’ve found you again!”
He loomed up in the corner of her eye. Nander was lying on the front of the sledge. Her dogs picked up the pace, having no intention of giving up their lead. Seraph leaned to the side and grabbed hold of her arm. Lilith yanked her arm free and kicked at him. He staggered briefly.
Again, the sledges drew near each other. Lilith lashed out with her stick. Seraph managed to duck only just in time, but the second time, Lilith hit him in the shoulder. Seraph cursed. It didn’t escape Lilith’s ears that he used Jakob’s name. Her dogs still had a small lead. Lilith turned around to keep an eye on her pursuers. As a result, she didn’t see what was in front of her.
The sledge jolted as it was drawn over small blocks of ice. Lilith fell, but she managed to hold on to the sledge. Her dogs climbed up an iceberg and dashed into the depth behind it. Lilith crashed into the hard edge and had to let go. She called after her dogs, but they soon disappeared into the distance. Lilith crawled back up. She slid down and started to run. It was useless. Seraph rounded the iceberg and was waiting for her. She tried to climb back up the wall of ice, but she kept sliding down.
“There’s no use trying to escape. When will you understand that? Jakob wants you to return to Kasimirh.” The last sentence came out like a taunt.
Lilith held still, panting heavily. “Let me go.”
Seraph’s laughter echoed over the plain. “You can’t escape your destiny.”
Lilith bowed her head and clenched her fists around the stick. Then she launched herself at him. Nander tripped her with his spear. She jumped back up and attacked Seraph again.
“Seize her!”
Nander plunged on top of her. She fought him, but at close range the stick was useless to her. Nander was stronger than she was. It wasn’t long before he was holding her hands behind her back, pulling her head back by her hair. He forced her to her knees, ignoring the fact that Lilith was kicking at him. She couldn’t move any more.
Seraph stepped in front of Lilith and looked down on her. He floored her with a rapid punch in the face. Blood streamed out of her nose. She spat out the blood in her mouth.
“Now that your friend is holding me you’re suddenly a tough guy.”
Seraph knelt in front of her. “You shouldn’t be so mean to me. We’re going to be together for a long time.”
“I’m not going back.”
Seraph gave her a look full of pity and shrugged. “Orders from the master. You know as well as I do that what he says goes.” His hand was resting on her shoulder. There was a sarcastic smile on his face. “I have a present for you. Isn’t that sweet of me? Not a nice piece of cake or anything like that, but something more beautiful. I expect you’ll appreciate it even more.”
In the old days, Seraph had always placated her with treats. But now Lilith knew it had been a cheap trick to bind her to him.
“Actually, it isn’t mine, but your master’s.” Seraph produced something from his pocket and held it up to her. The gold necklace glittered in the sunlight.
Lilith’s eyes went wide. Seraph opened the shackle and hung the amulet around her neck. Lilith resisted, ignoring the pain of her hair being pulled out as she shook her head. “Don’t!” She tried to get away from the amulet, but Nander was holding her too tight.
The cold metal froze her skin. The feeling slowly spread through her body. It made her feel numb, but not enough to stop her from being able to move. She groped around for the amulet when Nander let go of her.
“Tie her up.”
Not much later, Lilith lay pinioned on the sledge. She struggled with
the ropes, but eventually gave up because she realized that she couldn’t free herself. The amulet hung heavy around her neck. She felt Kasimirh’s presence. It was the same as the connection she felt when she was a dragon, only weaker. He was reaching out for her, but every time he was starting to get a hold, his grip slackened. She could feel his anger growing. It scared her. It was clear that he was up to something, and the longer she wore the amulet, the greater the chance of him succeeding.
Seraph and Nander were digging a den in the snow that had been blown against the iceberg.
All of a sudden, a burning pain shot through her side. It quickly spread to the rest of her body. Lilith rolled off the sledge and pressed her body against the snow, but it didn’t bring relief. She still felt Kasimirh’s presence, but she also knew that he wasn’t engaging himself with her. What was happening? She screamed in pain.
Nander knelt down beside her.
“It burns! Take the amulet off!”
Nander looked over his shoulder at Seraph, not sure what to do. Seraph shrugged. Lilith kept screaming. The pain spread to her face, as if a torch was held against her cheek. The coolness of the snow couldn’t numb the pain.
“I’m sure Kasimirh knows what he’s doing. If you keep screaming we’ll shove something into your mouth. This is the last thing I need.”
Lilith clenched her teeth. Her nose was stuffed up, so she’d rather not be gagged. Another stab of pain – in her hip this time – made her groan. Seraph warned her with his eyes as he was shovelling snow. The shelter was finished. Nander carried Lilith inside and put her down on an animal hide. Seraph sat down across from her and looked at her for a long time. He toyed with a bracelet before putting it in his bag.
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