by Tom Lloyd
‘You want to test my compassion too?’ Isak growled, his words thick with restrained anger. The white-eye leaned forward over his horse’s head and stared intently at Fesh, while trying not to glance back at Zhia. He could sense a build-up of magic from the vampire; no doubt her Gods-imposed curse was filling her with discomfort at the man’s suffering and hunger at the slowly spilling blood.
‘I do not test,’ Fesh declared, meeting his gaze, and apparently completely unafraid, despite the fact Isak was so much larger. ‘I serve the wishes of the Night Council.’
Isak made a dismissive sound and urged his horse towards where Commissar Kestis had earlier gestured they find their lodgings. He caught Zhia’s eye as he went and called back over his shoulder, ‘Goodbye, Commissar.’
A muted crack broke the hushed night air as Zhia invisibly hastened the slave’s inevitable death, then the rest of the party followed him at a slow pace. Kestis hurried to catch up with his guests and usher them down the wide avenue leading to the heart of the city.
Commissar Fesh did not speak.
They were guided into the centre of Toristern, down a road studded with blockish, functional shrines and onto a tree-lined strip of open ground that formed a ring around a central district. Silver birches had been carefully cultivated to form screens that abruptly hid the slumbering city from view. The ground was covered in some sort of limestone gravel; it was obviously kept scrupulously clear of weeds and it shone in the pre-dawn gloom.
‘This ground is restricted to the Blessed,’ Commissar Kestis announced as he directed the party to walk down the white avenue. ‘The entire inner circle of Toristern is sacred; you will be the first outsiders to ever view this ziggurat.’
‘I hadn’t realised there was more than one,’ Isak said.
Kestis inclined his head solemnly, then looked up at the yellowed bulge of Alterr, high above them. ‘Every core settlement has a ziggurat now – none as remarkable as the Grand Ziggurat of Vanach Settlement, of course, but fitting places of worship all the same.’ He turned, his eyes suddenly bright with fervour. ‘And now you are here, come to fulfil the signs and reveal mysteries beyond those inscribed on the walls of the Grand Ziggurat – perhaps every city in the Land will be blessed with a ziggurat to elevate their worship?’
‘Not sure that would be so popular right now,’ Isak murmured.
‘No doubt,’ Kestis agreed gravely. ‘The wider Land has been forsaken by the Gods for so many years. We of the Commissar Brigade understand the extent of the task ahead of us; unbelievers will not easily accept the embrace of the Gods again.’
‘Lucky you’ve got so many Black Swords, eh?’ Isak commented, noticing yet another troop of soldiers watching them silently from under the trees.
‘The enemies of the Gods are many and devious,’ Kestis replied, a sharpness entering his voice. ‘The faithful must be protected, and more so than ever since the recent rise in daemon attacks.’
‘Rise?’
Kestis blinked at him. ‘We have ever been plagued by daemons roaming the wild parts of our nation; it is our lot as most favoured of the Gods. They enter the minds of mages and weak men, sometimes manifesting in their hundreds and slaughtering entire villages.’ He frowned. ‘It has always been that way – that is why the Shield Council was forced to redistribute the population and ensure they could be protected as they worked for the glory of the Gods. Surely your own people have the same problems?’
‘Oh sure,’ Isak said quickly, ‘daemons with the faces of men: always been a problem where I come from. There’s one growing with power even now, one that wears the face of a child.’ His face became suddenly tight. ‘Don’t even ask me what’s living in the cottage I used to own.’
Kestis went as wide-eyed as a child as Isak confirmed everything he had been told about the Land beyond Vanach’s borders. ‘It is a fight we are ready for, my Lord. The people of Vanach are strong and unflinching; the Commissar Brigade has worked for years to prepare them for what will be required.’
Isak said grimly, ‘It may be you’ll find that fight soon.’ He spoke in Farlan.
‘I’m sorry, Lord – I did not understand you. That was Farlan you spoke? Only very few here know that language, I’m afraid. Could you please repeat it?’
Isak waved it away as unimportant and turned to give Zhia a look instead. ‘Villages “disappearing” because of daemons? The entire population being “readied for war”? Remind me to kill your brother if I see him.’
The vampire indicated the soldiers they had just passed. ‘Have a care, my Lord – Commissar Fesh may have colleagues who speak Farlan.’
‘Oh, right, we wouldn’t want anyone to become suspicious of us,’ Isak snapped. ‘They might try to kill us if that happened.’
‘It was a limited effort,’ Zhia countered, ‘enough to test whether or not we were just some fools who’d chanced upon a way to travel unmolested in Vanach. I don’t doubt we’re in danger from this Night Council, but it doesn’t look like they are the dominant force in Vanach, so they will be cautious about acting publicly.’
Isak scowled and didn’t press the matter. He let Commissar Kestis guide them in silence around the outer ring to a second avenue leading into the heart of the city. As they turned onto it they were immediately confronted by a ceremonial procession of priests, looming like phantoms out of the darkness.
Dressed in white habits and shuffling along behind a circular silver standard, it was clear they were from the Cult of Alterr. Mindful of the position priests occupied in Vanach, Isak nudged his horse to one side and slipped respectfully from the saddle until they had passed.
Strangely, the priests paid him no attention at all. The hoods of their habits hung low over their face, but he knew the effect he had on passers by, so it came as a surprise when there was no apparent reaction at all.
Maybe the mysteries aren’t for the cults to know about, he mused. These commissars do seem to like keeping their power close.
He watched the procession as it shuffled away along the tree-line avenue, a hushed drone of prayer on the wind. The man at the rear swung a thurible on a long chain, but no smoke was emitted; there was only a deep thrum as air passed through its cut sides, a strange and haunting sound that lingered on the night air even as the priests moved away.
‘No incense?’
‘The Shrine Council removed incense from the list of accepted religious tools,’ Kestis said, careful not to indicate he had any opinion on the subject himself. ‘It was deemed a distraction from the majesty of the Gods and a lure for daemons.’
‘Ah, all that smoke and stink,’ Isak said. Thought it reminded me of something.
‘Yes, Lord,’ Kestis said, in all seriousness, ‘to echo their home realm is to encourage them into the hearts of men. To cause the faithful to breath smoke is to lower them to the level of a heretic. It is well documented that heretics commonly have disorders of the throat and speech, choking on the evil they spread as it draws the smoke of the Dark Place into their lungs.’
‘This has been documented by the same folk who report daemons causing whole villages to disappear?’ Isak said before he could stop himself.
‘Indeed, Lord.’
‘Oh. And who would that be, then?’
Kestis faltered a little, giving a nervous glance around before he replied, ‘I— My knowledge of the councils is limited, my Lord. I know little even of the one I serve. It is heresy to question those who preserve the majesty of the Gods.’
‘Guess,’ Isak commanded unsympathetically. He took a step towards the commissar and stood a little straighter. ‘I’m not asking you to reveal state secrets, just the name of whichever council issued those reports.’
Kestis stared miserably at Isak’s feet for a few heartbeats, then his resolve broke. ‘It was most likely the Dusk Council – the works of daemons is their purview.’
‘Friendly lot, are they?’
‘I know nothing of them, but they go with the blessing of the Gods,’ Ke
stis replied, falling back on doctrine in his anxiety. ‘Please, I can tell you nothing more.’
Isak stared at the quivering man a while longer, then let him off. ‘Of course. Please, lead on.’
Kestis scampered ahead while Isak’s party remounted and started down the street. The buildings within the sacred district started out looking as boringly functional as those outside, although more frequently stone-built, but as they penetrated further into the district, Isak saw temples and the ziggurat rising above the rest. Each temple was set in a compound of its own, with an attending network of buildings half the height or less of their corresponding temple.
In the centre was the unmistakable bulk of the ziggurat: four square levels of pale stone topped with a half-dome structure that Isak assumed was the Temple of Alterr. To his surprise the sides of each level bore images, both carved and painted, and ornate statuary stood along the stark edges. The temples too were remarkably grand compared to the rest of the city. High spires and obelisks dominated the view, and the great variety of ornaments and embellishments was in stark contrast to the rest of the settlement’s architecture.
They approached the ziggurat under the watchful gaze of yet more Black Swords. It seemed strange to Isak that their escort consisted of only one man, even though it was likely they were never out of sight of at least one unit of soldiers. He hoped it meant they were trying to keep his arrival quiet until the ruling councils decided how to react, but as Kestis had ably demonstrated, nothing in Vanach could ever be assumed to be predictable.
‘My Lord Sebe,’ Kestis declared, his spirit partially returned, ‘lodgings at the Commissariat await you.’
Their path to the ziggurat was blocked by a large fort-like compound, entirely enclosed by a stone wall and overlooked by low guard-towers. They passed through the gate and found themselves in a large courtyard that had been divided into two. The larger part was behind an iron gate, through which Isak could see a gibbet and narrow, barred windows.
‘A fucking prison?’ he demanded, pointing up at the armed guards peering down at them.
Kestis flapped madly in his haste to correct Isak. ‘A secure station,’ he gabbled, pointing to the right, where the buildings were somewhat less brutal in aspect. ‘Yes, it is next to a prison, but as a result this is our most protected place. The Prefect has decided it best to spare you the curious eyes of the Faithful and Blessed alike; here you may have both privacy and security.’
‘Security from whom? The Dusk Council? The Night Council?’
Kestis couldn’t have shaken his head harder. ‘Insurrectionists, daemon-worshippers – the Faithful are ever under threat of those who have turned from the Gods.’
Isak looked around at his companions. None of them made any comment, but Vesna tapped his wrapped Crystal Skull and urged his horse onwards. The gesture was obvious, and Isak nodded his agreement: Any trouble and we can carve a path through it.
‘Then it will serve, I suppose.’ Isak followed Vesna inside. ‘Tell your Prefect we await his pleasure.’
The Prefect’s invitation arrived late in the afternoon. Much to the discomfort of their guards, Isak had gone up one of the guard-towers to look out over Toristern Settlement; he saw the messenger approaching with his escort. The guards, unable to speak the same language, had tried making threatening gestures to get him back into the secure quarters, but a determined white-eye was not easily stopped, and Isak was willing to take a chance that their orders didn’t include violence – at least not at this stage.
In the light of day Toristern remained unimpressive. The screen of silver birch limited his view of the city beyond, but what he could see was a uniform view of basic, single-storey buildings punctuated with the occasional warehouse. Only the restricted district bore any resemblance to the ancient grandeur of Tirah or even Scree’s modest prosperity.
Buildings of any significance or permanence appeared to be strictly limited to the cults and ruling councils. The massive ziggurat was not the only example of skill and endeavour, but even compared to Scree, before the firestorm had destroyed it, Toristern was little more than an overgrown town.
The messenger was another commissar; a man not much older than Isak with short hair and a neat beard. He came on foot with a squad of Black Swords trailing behind, the commissars’ feared enforcers echoing Isak’s opinion of their city: young and insubstantial when seen in the light of day.
‘My Lord Sebe, I bring the greetings of Prefect Darass, overseer of Toristern Settlement and Priesan of the Commissar Brigade.’
‘Priesan? That’s the highest rank, right? You have to walk the labyrinth to be raised to that?’
The man bowed. ‘That is correct, my Lord. He invites you and your companions to be his guests at the Dusk Ceremony this evening.’ Despite his youth the commissar was as blank-faced as the most experienced politician. Kestis had come across a devout believer, but this one was either a zealot of the worst order or a willing participant in his state’s cruel excesses.
‘Away from prying eyes, then,’ Isak remartked dryly. ‘You commissars don’t trust each other much, do you?’
The young man bowed. ‘It is the duty of a commissar to ques tion. Those of true faith can endure any test.’
Isak grinned nastily, drawing the scars on his face tight as he revealed the missing teeth in his month. ‘You reckon? Give me some pliers and a hot fire and I’m willing to bet otherwise.’
‘There is no force greater than faith in the Gods,’ the commissar countered smoothly, ‘but such a debate might best be continued with Prefect Darass rather than a man of my modest rank.’
Isak inclined his head to agree. ‘I’ll go and get ready.’
‘The Prefect anticipated you might wish to leave some of your companions behind, given that the shrine atop the ziggurat is of modest size.’
Isak hesitated. What exactly the Priesan rank would know of Vanach’s founding remained unclear, but they would be aware of some of the truth in Vorizh Vukotic’s schemes.
Is this a ruse to split us up, or a sign that he’s aware we might have Zhia or Koezh among us?
‘I’ll do so then. Three of us will suffice.’
Isak returned to their quarters, pausing at the door where Doranei and Daken were standing guard. Though mismatched in size, dress and weapons, the strange pair were united in their hostility as they stared at the newcomers.
‘Could you look less like you want to pick a fight?’ Isak muttered to them.
‘Only face I got,’ Daken replied softly.
‘I’ll alter it if I get back and find out you’ve started something.’
Before Daken could utter any reply, Doranei gave him a warning look and the Mad Axe pursed his lips, fighting his natural instincts, and nodded stiffly. He was part of the Brotherhood now, and King Emin had made it clear he needed to follow their rules: the mission was everything, you never let any personal bullshit get in the way.
Inside, Isak dug out a long midnight-blue robe from his pack, similar to the formal ones he’d worn as a lord in Tirah. It looked a little austere compared to the noble silks and lion-embossed cuirass Vesna had, especially when he kept the hood up, but with a white leather belt and stylised golden bee pendant – Death’s own symbol – he managed the noble ascetic image he was aiming for. Naturally Mihn wore no finery. He needed only to set aside his staff before setting off with Isak and Vesna, adopting his usual persona of humble manservant.
The walk to the ziggurat was quick and uneventful; Black Swords at every corner ensured even the Blessed of Toristern steered well clear. Once at the heart of the core settlement Isak stopped and took a few moments to appreciate its size, aware he had a while until dusk fell.
Under the commissar’s urging, Isak eventually started the long climb up the massive staggered ramp that ran up one side of the ziggurat, pausing at each level to survey the settlement as it was incrementally unveiled. The priests standing on each of the levels kept their distance, withdrawing before he came into v
iew so there was no way Isak could interact with any of them.
Before they reached the upper level, he rounded on the man escorting them. ‘Commissar, tell me, why is it in a nation of the faithful, your priests keep their distance?’
The commissar blinked in surprise, but it only lasted a moment before the young man recovered himself. ‘My Lord, as yet your status is uncertain and the purity of our priests is our greatest defence against evil. The priests of these temples live cloistered lives, the better to contemplate the will of our Gods and commune with their servant Aspects. It is the obligation of the Commissar Brigade to conduct all interaction with outside elements and endure the disruption of order this may lead to.’
Isak gave Vesna a look, but the veteran soldier was careful not to comment. He could see Vesna’s amazement, though: this nation’s fanaticism had tied even its own priesthood in knots, making it a prisoner of a political wing gone mad. Every other class in Vanach had been reduced to an irrelevance; even the heads of each cult were probably subordinate to the Commissar Brigade, answering only to some faceless council.
‘“There can be no greater tyranny than good intentions left unchecked”,’ Mihn said in Farlan. He earned a quizzical look from the commissar, but stared blankly at the man until he gave up and looked away.
‘So until all the signs are revealed,’ Isak concluded, ‘my exist ence goes unreported and unexplained to the people?’
‘Vigilance is our watchword,’ the commissar replied firmly. ‘We are guardians of the people and entrusted by the Gods to see them safely to the coming Age – even unto keeping them safe from themselves and their own failings.’
‘Naturally.’ Isak sighed and trudged on, suddenly keen to be away from the conversation.
As he reached the top of the ziggurat Isak discovered the commissar had discreetly stayed behind where they’d spoken, leaving the three of them to ascend the final stair alone. The shrine of Alterr stood in the very heart of the upper tier; a circular groove was cut into the smooth stone underfoot, marking the sanctified ground. At its centre was a simple round altar covered in a white cloth. The breeze was brisk that high off the ground, and the cloth’s edges fluttered madly, but it was held in place by five beautiful silver chalices.