It was bloody freezing.
That was Dean's one thought as he and Cait hurried up the hill towards the Cathedral. Dawn's first light illuminated their surroundings, but the heavy cloud cover prevented any direct sunlight from reaching them. And to top it all off, the snow had refused to stop falling.
To her credit, Cait wordlessly followed him with a determined look in her eyes. He knew many people who would have complained by now, but she was apparently not one of them. In order to distract himself from the numbness spreading from his feet to his lower legs, he decided he would be the one to start complaining this time.
"Why is it snowing this much? It's still autumn, for Goddess' sake!" he shouted. "So damned cold."
His sudden outburst startled Cait, who froze where she stood, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Sorry, might have said that with a little too much enthusiasm," he said, looking around for any danger. His voice had been loud enough to attract anything that might have been prowling the monastery grounds.
Well done, you fool. Just go and attract every monster and wild animal on the mountain to you.
"Are you cold, Dean?" Cait asked with concern.
She approached him and began removing her wool coat with haste.
"Woah, there." Dean shouted, holding up his hands to get her to stop. "You need to keep that on, or you'll definitely freeze to death."
"But you said you were cold," Cait said, clearly upset.
Dean could only sigh as he had to physically prevent her from handing the coat to him.
"I was only making conversation to distract myself," he said desperately. "Come on, Cait. We've only been out two minutes. I'm hardly going to freeze to death that quickly."
"I don't care. If you say you're cold, then you have to wrap up in more layers!"
Their squabble continued for some time until Dean managed to slip in the snow, falling backwards into the drift. Looking up at the gray sky, he felt rather comfortable despite the freezing snow beneath him and briefly considered the possibility of taking a little break there and then. Luckily, Cait was there to rescue him.
"Oh, Dean, are you ok? Dean, get up!"
Dean almost laughed. She seemed utterly panicked. A gross overreaction, if ever there was one. In order to spare her further distress, he quickly got to his feet while wiping the snow from his clothes.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." he muttered as she fussed over him. "Remind me never to complain in front of you again," he said to her.
Cait's expression twisted in confusion. Her ability to read the context of conversations was nonexistent. Dean let out a small laugh and forced her coat back into her hands before putting his arm around her shoulder and pushing her forward.
"Come on, worrywart. We're almost there."
It had taken a grand total of three minutes to walk from the library to the cathedral. An epic adventure full of danger and spectacle. At least it was with Cait as a companion. Ignoring her further protests, he half walked, half stumbled towards the massive building in front of them.
Entering the now derelict cathedral, Dean felt a strange gloominess wash over him. It hadn't been that long, but the greenery adorning the interior had already started to overgrow, making the place look as if it had been abandoned for decades.
"Hope this place keeps any of those nasty creatures out," Dean said as he scanned their surroundings.
"Why would they be unable to enter?" Cait asked him.
"Wouldn't there be some kind of holy aura surrounding this place?" he guessed.
He couldn't remember where exactly, but he remembered hearing that holy ground was supposed to be unbearable to evil things.
"That's silly." Cait said, shaking her head.
Dean chuckled quietly. She was probably right. That kind of thinking was only allowed in the world of fantasy. Though it was sad that the people who died here probably believed themselves to be safe. He reminded himself not to look towards the altar where the massacre had taken place.
"Those who follow the Mortian faith respect death, holding it in the highest regard. Keeping death away would be the exact opposite of this place's purpose," Cait continued
Well, she wasn't wrong. Dean had never liked the empire's religion. It was much too obsessed with death for his liking. Fanatic practitioners would often venture out and seek death as a form of worship. Those types were not the kind of people Dean wanted anything to do with. He usually had to keep his sacrilegious views of living long and happily to himself.
Dean simply wanted to believe that this place was safe. That Addi was waiting here in safety. He had to believe that was true. Spurred on with renewed hope, he made his way towards the side of the nave where the door leading to the backrooms lay.
"Do you think we'll find Addi here?" Cait asked.
"That's the idea," Dean replied as he opened the door.
"I hope we do. I really want to see her again."
Dean paused and looked back at Cait in confusion.
"You know her?" he asked.
Cait nodded.
"Of course I do. We've known each other for years! She's told me a lot about you, Dean."
Addi had never mentioned Cait before, and Dean spent a lot of time with her. The possible reason escaped him, but Cait was surely lying. Either that, or she was simply confused. One way or the other, what she said bothered him.
"This might be a strange question, but how did you get to know Addi? I mean, she's the Priestess, so she's not exactly the most approachable person."
Cait went silent for a moment. She whispered something under her breath before shaking her head wildly from side to side. Dean felt a knot of worry forming in his gut. Something just wasn't right here.
"Ah, that's right. She was my acolyte. I thought her everything I knew about… about things!"
"I see," Dean said.
He didn't see at all. He knew what the title of acolyte meant. It was given to the women who assisted directly with the priestess' duties and were often meant to act as an heir. Maria had been Addi's acolyte. There was no way that Addi had been Cait's acolyte, as that would have made her the priestess before Addi. He was pretty sure the prior priestess had been an older lady who was killed during Oscar's rebellion. Dean couldn't remember her name or even what she looked like, but he was certain that was the case. Wait, how did he not know her? He'd spend a good portion of his life in the monastery.
No, it isn't important. Best to just forget this conversation and that line of thought.
All thoughts about Cait and the former priestess vanished as they approached the priestess' room on the second floor. Dean was surprised by how quickly they had gotten there. He dismissed it as a trick of his mind. It had been a stressful few weeks.
Dean stood silently in front of the ornate double doors leading into Addi's quarters. The Mortian circular symbol representing the cycle of life and death adorned both halves. Addi had never liked all the pomp involved with being the priestess but it wasn't like she could replace the decor on a whim.
"You're scared," Cait said from behind him.
She wasn't mocking him, and she was right. He feared what he would find out once he opened the doors. Would she be alive and well, or would he find something else? Something akin to the bodies outside? Even the thought of it was almost enough to break him.
"What? Of course not, I was simply… admiring the craftsmanship that went into these doors," he said, turning briefly to give Cait a smile.
"Oh, I see," Cait said as she looked up. "They are very nice, I suppose."
Dean wondered if it was right to continue telling lies to Cait. It didn't sit right with him that she blindly accepted everything he said. He wondered if there was a single distrusting bone in her body.
Taking a deep breath and preparing himself mentally, Dean knocked on the door.
"Addi, are you there?" he asked.
He closed his eyes while mouthing the word 'please' over and over gain.
Nothing. Maybe she was asleep. He knocked harder.
"Addi?"
Silence.
After waiting an unreasonably long time, he sighed and placed his hand on the doorknob. Thankfully, it seemed to be unlocked, and the large door gave way with a little push. Dean felt a sudden urge to close his eyes. His movements were stiff as he took his first step into the room.
When the room came into full view, his mind flashed with memories. Memories of times spent talking the night away, of playing cards, drinking wine and gambling away their saved money. Now that he thought about it, he had really been a bad influence on the head of the church.
Now, however, there was no sign of the young woman who once called this room her own. It felt still and sterile. The space between the door and the canopied bed of green velvet with golden embroidery seemed unnecessarily large, and the dressing table opposite the bed looked a bit too pristine and unused.
Dean and Cait's footsteps echoed as they entered the room proper. He examined the bed, only to find it completely empty and freshly made. Nobody had slept there in a while. She wasn't here. All in all, not the worst-case scenario, but still far from comforting.
Dean's eyes trailed towards the far end of the room that was split from the sleeping area by dividers. He walked towards the dividers only for Cait to grab his hand, stopping him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You shouldn't look behind there," she said.
Dean looked back towards the dividers. A dresser could be seen just beyond them, and Dean guessed at what Cait was getting at.
"She wouldn't be getting dressed now," he told her. "She would have heard us coming in. I just want to check."
"That's not what I-"
Cait's voice trailed off as Dean reached the other side of the dividers. He saw the dresser, a large chest, and-.
"What's that?" He asked quietly.
Near the chest, the marble floor had been scorched black. Dean's mind instantly thought of a campfire, and his stupid brain conjured the image of Addi frying some food in her room. The strange mental image was swept from his mind when he noticed that the scorched area had an unusual shape to it. It looked vaguely human-like.
Swallowing deeply, he took a step back.
"What is this?" he repeated.
His mind instantly considered the worst case scenario. No, it was impossible. This was obviously some prank. He could easily see Addi pulling something like this to scare him off. It wouldn't have been hard to do. Dean smiled.
"That girl, she really does take things too far sometimes."
He turned around to see Cait looking at him. She looked to be on the brink of tears..
"She's not here. Let's go down to the-"
Dean trailed off as he heard footsteps echoing from the entrance. His mind immediately thought of Addi and he took a quick step forward before stopping himself. No, there was a chance this could be someone else entirely. He unslung the lythment from his back, gripping it tightly in his hands. Cait, understanding the situation, did the same with her crossbow as they crept towards the edge of the divider that hid them.
Dean took a deep breath, then quickly peeked out from behind the divider. The person who had entered the room was just standing there, staring right at him.
"Joan?" he asked incredulously, lowering his weapon.
The girl stood there calmly, her arms folded and looking at him with slight disapproval.
"It's not right to go snooping around my room without my permission, you know!"
"Joan, what are you doing here? Wait. Your room? What are you talking about? We're in Addi's room."
Joan's disapproving expression instantly turned to outrage as she slammed her foot onto the hard marble, making a loud sound.
"It's my room! She just took it from me!" she shouted.
Dean felt a spike of panic as he put his finger to his lips, unsuccessfully trying to quiet the furious child. He should have known better than to bring Addi up in front of her.
"What are you doing back there, anyway?" She asked suspiciously, stepping towards them.
"Joan, I don't think it's a good idea to look. You should stay there," Cait said with fear in her voice.
Joan pointedly ignored her words and pushed Dean out of the way to look behind the dividers. She looked at the black scorch marks on the floor expressionlessly for a moment before her mouth cracked into a wide smile.
"It finally happened!" She shouted as she clapped her hands in delight.
Both Cait and Dean looked at the little girl, dumbfounded. Her echoing cries of delight sounded utterly unsettling in the large room.
"What's up with you, kid? You're not acting right at all." Dean said, unable to keep a slight tremble from his voice.
Joan turned to him with an excited smile.
"That fake priestess is dead! The Goddess finally enacted divine punishment on her!"
Dean lost all ability to speak as he flapped his mouth uselessly. Meanwhile, Joan got to her knees and made a circular shape with her hands. She was praying. Praying over the black stain on the ground.
"That's not very nice, Joan!" Cait said, stepping forward. "Addi was a good person!"
Joan looked sideways at Cait, a sneer forming on her face.
"She didn't deserve to be the Priestess. You should know that better than anyone. That was my job! Also, she didn't act at all appropriately. Always messing about, drinking and gambling. She got what was coming to her!"
Cait took a sharp intake of breath, shocked at the words coming from the girl's mouth.
"She was chosen because of how close she was to us," Cait argued. "She only ever wanted to be free, but she still did her best to be a good Priestess"
"No! She! Wasn't!" Joan screamed. "Oscar just put her there because it was convenient for him!"
"Joan, you're being too noisy. You got to stay quiet," Cait said, holding out her palms towards the child in a calming gesture.
Joan paid little heed and kept stamping her feet while shouting 'no' repeatedly. Dean felt his teeth grinding together.
"Addi never wanted the position. She just took it to help things get back to normal." Cait said, in a calm tone that sounded nothing like how she had spoken until now.
"She stole what was ours!" Joan immediately countered. "She was nothing but a usurper!"
Dean had had enough.
"Stop talking about her like she's already gone!" he shouted, slamming the butt of his lythment onto the marble floor. Both Cait and Joan stopped and looked at him in surprise.
"We can't be sure it's even her!" he shouted, looking at the black stain on the ground.
Cait's expression once again became sad, but Joan openly scoffed.
"Well, who else could it be? Nobody else was using this room."
Dean glared angrily at the girl. His expression must have been unusually cruel, because Joan's eyes widened slightly and she took a step back.
"You might be just a kid, but I won't let you get away with saying something like that again, do you hear me?" he hissed.
Joan crossed her arms and looked away from him, clearly sulking. Dean muttered some choice curses under his breath. He wouldn't believe that Addi died here. He couldn't.
"We're going to check the rest of the cathedral and the catacombs. There's a chance she hid down there when all this started."
He resolved himself not to leave this place until he checked every nook and cranny. He took a step forward, Cait following behind, but paused when he noticed Joan wasn't following.
"Come on, kid, there's no reason for us to stay here." he said, his voice still a little stern.
Joan shook her head violently.
"No, this is my room. I'm staying here."
Dean repressed the sudden urge to scream in frustration. Why did kids always have to be difficult at the worst times?
"Come on, Joan, you know we can't leave you by yourself. It's dangerous here," he said as patiently as he could manage.
Joan looked at Cait, her expression pleading.
"You'll stay with me, won't you? I saw a lot of interesting books on that bookshelf over there. We can spend time reading about the other Priestesses."
Joan eyed Cait with large, hopeful eyes. Cait bit her lip and looked away. There was an extended silence as Cait tried to come up with something to say.
"She's coming with me, just like you are," Dean said in a tone that brooked no argument.
He took a step toward Joan. If she refused to come with him, then he'd just have to carry her over his shoulder. It was for her own good, after all. He was not going to leave a child here to die, no matter how much she protested.
"Stay away!" Joan roared.
Dean was lifted off his feet as some invisible force struck him hard. He felt weightless for a moment before an explosive pain struck him in the back, knocking the wind out of him. Then, he was on the floor, desperately trying to breathe.
"Dean!"
He heard Cait cry out, but everything else was a hazy mess as his mind tried to catch up with what had happened. When he tried to breathe, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
It took a moment before he was aware of what was going on. Cait was kneeling next to him while Joan stood at a distance, mouth open in shock. What was more surprising, however, was the appearance of a third figure. Cloaked in a black robe with dark hair spilling down her shoulders. Dean wondered if he was hallucinating, but then the figure spoke.
"Getting all stirred up because of a child? Even if you have lost yourself within this tale and forgotten who you really are, that's still very shameful of you, Dean," the woman said with a smile.
Dean's mind seemed to lurch as she spoke to him. For a moment, memories of another reality filled his mind, one where he was merely reading a story. However, the knowledge dissipated like mist, and he was left confused at the newcomer's words.
"Wh…who are you?" he asked as he got to his feet, readying his weapon once again.
"Tatiana," the woman said with a sigh. "Your Goddess made manifest. Do try to remember that much at least. Introducing myself to you over and over again does become tedious after a while.."
Dean couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. However, Joan had a completely different reaction. With a yell, she threw herself at the woman and hugged her legs.
"Is it you? Is it really you?" Joan asked with tears in her eyes.
"Ah, it's the discarded piece. And not just one, but two?"
Stroking the girl's head, Tatiana looked over at Cait. While she seemed to treat the young girl well, one look at Cait caused her expression to turn cruel.
"I thought I might find you following him around like the desperate whore you are. Have you still not learned your lesson properly?"
Cait's mouth widened in horror as the woman addressed her. There seemed to be an aura around the woman that caused the temperature of the room to plummet and make Dean's hairs stand on end. The figure turned her head toward Dean. Though much of her face was hidden, Dean could still sense the cruel intentions hidden deep within her smile.
"And you. Why must you always waste your time with this fool? Surely you must know by now how little worth she has? Her only noticeable trait being her obsession with you. Men can be so simple sometimes"
Cait's only reaction to those scathing words was to hang her head. Dean narrowed his eyes at the intruder.
"You talk like you know an awful lot about her, and while I think you're completely wrong, I'd like to hear more. Who is Cait and how do you know her?" Dean said in a calm tone. He felt as if the intruder was baiting him into losing his temper, and he wasn't going to bite.
Cait seemed startled by his question and opened her mouth while reaching her hand towards him. However, she was interrupted by a loud cackling laugh from the intruder.
"Who is she?" Tatiana laughed. "She is as she appears, nothing more. A pale shadow of a person with only one desire and purpose: to follow you around like a lost puppy. Quite frankly, it sickens me to even be in the same room as her."
Dean looked at Cait, who was evidently fighting back tears. Why didn't she try to deny those harsh words? Well, if she wasn't able to, then he'd do the honors.
"Cait has something that many people don't, and that gives her more value than you know." He said with confidence.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Tatiana asked with a chuckle.
"Kindness and empathy for others," Dean said simply.
Not once since they had met in the catacomb cells had Cait ever said a cruel word to anyone. She had shown concern for him and others far beyond what was expected of a complete stranger. It was true that she seemed a bit odd and obsessed over him a little more than necessary, but that didn't change the fact that she had helped him through one of the most difficult moments of his life.
"Typical of you to be taken in by a pretty face just because she showed you a little kindness," Tatiana said, gritting her teeth through her smile.
She raised her hand towards Cait, and a moment later, Cait was lifted to her feet. Floating in the air, she looked at Tatiana with wide eyes. Then she started screaming. It was a gut-wrenching howl that robbed Dean of the ability to move. When he saw that Cait's right arm was beginning to twist in an unnatural way, he looked towards Tatiana.
"Stop it!" he screamed. "Put her down!"
Tatiana looked at him and smiled before returning her gaze to Cait. When it was obvious his pleas were being ignored, he dived towards Tatiana. She lazily raised her other hand, and he went flying into the nearby wall, the wind knocked out of him. Coughing and trying to regain his breath, he struggled against an invisible binding.
"Now watch, Dean, as I tear this walking shame of a woman limb from limb."
Dean could barely hear Tatiana over Cait's screams. Her right arm was now bent in a way that would have been physically impossible without dislocation, and her left arm was not far behind. To Dean's horror, her neck was also beginning to twist. The angle her neck had twisted to force her to look right at Dean. He wished it didn't. The look of fear and agony was enough to make him want to scream. Any second now. Any second and her neck was going to snap.
"Stop it!"
A high-pitched voice blasted through Cait's screams of agony, Dean's screams of despair, and Tatiana's laughter.
Standing between Tatiana and Cait with her hands raised to the sides, was Joan. The young girl had tears in her eyes, but her expression was set in grim determination. There was also a hint of sorrow or regret. Dean wasn't sure. For whatever reason, her intervention seemed to work, and Dean was able to move again. Cait, on the other hand. Fell limply to the floor below with a thud.
"Brave of you to stand between the Goddess and a sinner, girl, even considering what you are," Tatiana said, looking down at Joan.
Her voice was a little unsteady, and Dean noticed that her expression seemed a bit forced.
"You shouldn't have to feel ashamed of her, and you don't need to hurt yourself either, so please stop!" Joan cried.
Dean looked more closely at Tatiana. Yes, she actually looked like she was in pain. Perhaps using her power inflicted strain on her body? That didn't matter. He ran over to Cait to check her condition. She was still moaning in agony, and her arms were a bruised mess. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Dean. Then, to his utter shock, she smiled.
"Please don't worry," she said between deep breaths. "I'm fine."
Dean reached out a hand to stroke her long, black hair.
"Don't be stupid!" He muttered.
His mind raced as he examined her. There was no external bleeding, but she was gravely injured. Far beyond his ability to do anything for her.
"This is getting boring fast." Tatiana said, having finished speaking with Joan.
She approached them, and Dean stood up, preparing to fight her head on. Though he had a suspicion that even his lythment would be ineffective against this monster.
"She'll be staying with me, Dean. As will the child." Tatiana said. "I've come to collect what is mine."
"What? Leave her to you so you can torture her some more?" Dean laughed. "Not happening."
"Another of your friends has just died."
The suddenness of her words caught Dean off guard, and he lost his train of thought.
"Wh-what did you say?" He spluttered.
"While you're here doing your own thing and playing the hero, you ignored the real issue at hand and allowed more death." Tatiana laughed. "You still haven't changed deep down, have you?"
She must have been lying. She was just trying to distract him, that's all.
"I think it's obvious that you're responsible for all this," Dean noted. "I'm not leaving these two here with you, not in a million years."
"As tunnel-visioned as ever, I see," Tatiana said with a bored expression.
She waved her hand, and Dean was sent flying. This time, his body flew out the door. It slammed shut as he hit the wall behind him for the third time. He almost blacked out completely this time, and when he finally managed to recover, he leapt to his feet and charged the door. He opened it and, to his shock, found it completely empty. Not only that, the door didn't open into Addi's room, but instead revealed a long hallway with countless doors on either side.
"What in the-" he cursed as he looked into the hallway.
Stepping inside, he opened the closest door to him only to find it leading back to the hallway he had just come from. The same happened for every door after that. All of them leading to the same place.
Just as he started questioning his sanity, he heard a wet slapping sound. Turning towards the source of the noise, he saw a grotesque humanoid creature with gray skin oozing a rotten-looking brown liquid.
It wasn't alone. Behind it, more similarly disgusting creatures appeared. They looked at him and made rough, guttural noises.
Faster than he would have thought possible, they charged at him.
"Damn it all!" he shouted, immediately fleeing from the pursuing creatures and leaving the door behind.
He really needed to find Cait and Joan, but to do that, he needed to be alive.
The creatures chased him through the corridors of the Cathedral and down the stairs to the ground floor. Unfortunately, more were waiting in the lower halls, and he was forced to hide in a room near the staircase.
He had managed to put some distance between himself and the creatures, and they didn't seem eager to look for him. They simply stood in the corridor, not moving an inch once he had left their field of vision. Very strange, he had heard ghouls had a knack for rooting out hiding humans.
Dean cursed under his breath. It would have been much easier if they had tried looking for him. He could have slipped away as they moved from one room to the next. As they were now, they were blocking his route to the front entrance of the cathedral.
Dean looked back over his shoulder. There lay the all too familiar stairs to the catacombs. After his previous experience, it was the last place he wanted to go. That said, it was probably his only chance of escape. Not only that, but there might be other survivors hidden down there. Addi might be hiding down there.
With one last look towards the corridor, Dean moved towards the stairs and descended into the catacombs once again.
They were just as dark and dank as he remembered, not to mention dead quiet, aside from the sound of his footsteps and dripping water. He walked on for a while, seeing no signs of life. He checked every nook and cranny, even examining the cells he had languished in with no luck. The place seemed completely empty.
He was just about to give up when he noticed a gap in the stone walls not too far away from one of the secret entrances he had used to explore the catacombs as a child.
Curious, he approached the gap and peered through. On the other side was another long corridor with more sarcophagi lining the edges. It was similar to the rest of the catacombs. However, there was a door at the end of this particular hallway, one he had never seen before.
Unable to resist a look, Dean slipped through the gap in the wall and made his way towards the door. He paused just before the door and leaned forward, placing his ear on the wood, listening closely.
"…Continuing as she has, it won't be long until he finds…"
"As I said before…"
Dean could just about make out the voices. Not only that, but he recognised them. They belonged to Methaeus and Mitch. Without taking another moment to think things through, he opened the door and stepped inside.
Greeting him were the surprised faces of the two men, but Dean hardly noticed. He had found himself in a large, open cavern. Large enough to fit his entire family's estate, by the looks of it. At the far end of the cavern was something he couldn't understand. It was as if a hole had been torn in reality. The stone that formed the walls of the cavern seemed to break apart in sharp chunks, some pieces floating in the nothingness that was beyond. The hole was almost entirely black, save for some purple and white streams of light floating in the distance beyond.
Large lyth stones of various colors covered the cavern with their density increasing the closer they got to the hole. Standing near that impossible precipice was the emperor himself, Oscar Durin.
"First Mitch appears, and then two minutes later, the young Kasanagh follows. Hard to believe you've kept this place a secret for so long, Methaeus." Oscar said as he turned to face Dean, his expression unreadable and cold.