Apostasy: The Book of Ithaca

Chapter 12

These people are not your friends Valimaar. Do not trust them.

         The whispers would not leave him be. He looked on into the eyes of Jazira, who stared deep back into his. She knew him. How could Father Gordon orchestrate all of this? It was impossible.

         Jazira and the tall man with the eye patch shared looks, and as he removed his hood, he nodded.

         "My name be Captain Abbadin Al-Ghamdi," he said as he held his hand out in greeting. "You be the one that Rakin spoke of?"

         "I suppose I am." It was hard to grasp it all. He was mentioned in prophecy? What prophecy?

         "We know you not be understanding all of this Valimaar. We wish to enlighten you." Abbadin removed his cloak and revealed his lavish blue waistcoat, sabre, and pistol. He was clearly a man of some status, if not a bit conspicuous. He pulled a chair close to him and plopped himself into it. It creaked with disapproval.

         Jazira motioned for the other two to sit and stepped to Abbadin's side. "As you're aware, we be Wytches of Lokken. Rakin has been in your church for a very long time observing and reporting to us what they be doing."

         Father Gordon, a spy. It was starting to make sense.

         "He be telling us of the Arbiter's rise to power. They be planning Lysander's death for a long time," she said as she placed her hand on the captain's shoulder.

         Lady Elaine stomped her foot on the ground. "How dare you accuse-"

         "Accuse?" Jazira asked, raising her eyebrow at her. "We accuse nothing. We know. Rakin spoke of their betrayal. He be saying that Lysander had strayed too far from their path, so they killed him. Arbiter Ezekiel rose to power, and then formed the Hereticus Administratum."

         That much was certain. He was told that their order was formed to combat the rise of heretics that were present in Ecclesia, and their target was the Wytches.

         "We follow the ways of the old," Abaddin added as he stroked his beard. "We be knowing of what is to come for a long time. The Arbiter knew this. That is why you're order be hunting us six years ago."

         Lady Elaine shook her head. "You're saying that all of this is the Ecclesiarchy's fault?"

         Jazira turned to her. "No, we be saying that it is the Arbiter's fault. You not all be guilty of this. You be pawns in their game."

         They lie Valimaar!

         The Arbiter caused all of this? Such a blasphemy was hard to digest. He remembered the predictions of Lysander's death. The Wytches foretold it, and then it happened. If anyone was guilty it was them.

         "Lies!"

         Abbadin pulled a battered, stained parchment from his pocket, and unfolded it. He held the torn page out to Valimaar. "This be a page from the book that Rakin be wanting you to find. This be written by your prophet, Peregrine, as spoken to him by Azaal himself. Read it."

         He stared down at the tattered parchment. It was old; ancient. Its words were the Kalimag language that the Exarch and he encountered in the abandoned building. Father Gordon wrote his translation beneath the verses.

         Azaal's wounds were deep and he left the earth to the world of man.
His princes gathered with him and Ithaca asked unto him, "Azaal, master and
creator, what does thy command?"

         Azaal said, "I return to Hell, for my wounds are great and I need to heal.
Before I leave, I shall give you a gift. Upon the turn of the millennium, I shall return,
and bring with me the great pestilence of man. When Azazel plays the fanfare,
we shall awaken."

         With his eight princes gathered, he held out his hands and Azaal said
unto them, "To you Ithaca, most trusted and powerful of my sons, I grant unto
thee the gift of ignorance. Bring it unto man and cloud their minds that they
will know not of the natures around them." And he did.

         "To you Mammon, I grant unto thee the gift of greed. Bring it unto man
that their desires shall fuel their conflicts." And he did.

         "To you Belial, I grant unto thee the gift of gluttony. Bring it unto man
that their poor will starve and be weak." And he did.

         "To you Belphegor, I grant unto thee the gift of sloth. Bring it unto man
that they will want not the work to improve themselves." And he did.

         "To you Livya, I grant unto thee the gift of envy. Bring it unto man that
they dwell on the possession of their peers and desire harm unto them." And
he did.

         "To you Heylel, I grant unto thee the gift of pride. Bring it unto man that
their stubbornness shall mask their virtues." And he did.

         "To you Asmodeus, I grant unto thee the gift of lust. Bring it unto man
that they shall birth the thousand sons of Hell." And he did.

         "To you Shaitan, I grant unto thee the gift of Wrath. Bring it unto man
that they will not forgive their peers, and they will be vengeful against one
another." And he did.

         "To you Jezebeth, beloved mistress, I grant unto thee the gift of
secrets and falsehoods. Bring it unto man that deceit and trickery shall mask
the truth. I give to you a false scripture. Bring it unto them that they may preach
it and know not of whence they came." And she did.

         "Go with my blessing and gifts that we may reclaim the earth and make
it our own. Dwell in their hearts and their minds. You shall awaken once I
return."

         And so it was that they came unto man and dwelled in their hearts and
corrupted their minds. As they were told, they waited the coming of the
pestilence.

         The parchment dropped to the floor like a leaf fell from a tree. It came to rest at Lady Elaine's feet. She leaned over; grasping it in her hands, and began to read. His head sunk.

         "The pestilence be here Valimaar." Abbadin pointed toward the frosted window. "It be out there claiming the innocent."

         Was it true? After what he had seen, it wasn't a far reality. The daemon that he and the Exarch had encountered was certainly one of great power. It was enough for Brother Xander to kill himself. Had they returned? Cardinal Celestine spoke of Belial's return. He called it an awakening.

         "The killings be the ritual to awaken Azaal." Jazira placed her hand on Valimaar's shoulder. "They be done by his servant Peymon."

         There is no truth in their words Valimaar. Don't listen to them.

         Valimaar shook his head. "How do I know they weren't done by you?"

         "We not be the ones that whisper lies to you," she said as she removed her hand.

         He looked up at her. She knew of the whispers. "Who is it then?"

         "It be Ithaca, first born of Azaal's sons. He be deceiving you."

         Don't listen to her! She lies!

         "His ignorance be blinding the truth from your eyes."

         I mended your flesh Valimaar. I healed your broken bones. A daemon would not do that.

         "The turn of the millenium?" Lady Elaine's voice startled him. "It's winter... Is the turn of the millenium-"

         "This year," Abaddin said as he nodded at her. "The coming of the new year marks the thousand that man has owned this world. Before then, it be in the hands of the daemons."

         "Azul help us," she said, as her hands fell to her sides.

         Jazira nodded. "Now you be seeing the truth. It be the same truth that condemned us and Rakin. Why do you think we be hunted?"

         He clenched his fists. It was unforgivable. "Because you warned us."

         "Yes Valimaar," Abbadin said, crossing his arms. "Six years ago we said that there be a sign, and then Arbiter Ezekiel rose to power. He ordered the formation of the Hereticus Administratum, and the Expurgators."

         "To eradicate the truth," Lady Elaine added, shaking her head in disgust.

         "That not be all of it," Jazira replied as she stepped closer to her. "To harbor the spirits of the princes."

         Valimaar looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

         Abbadin removed another parchment from his pocket and handed to him. It was in Father Gordon's writing.

         Valimaar, if you are reading this, then it has finally come to pass. The return of Azaal and his princes is nigh. I can only hope that my niece survives to find you. You are very important for what is to come. It is mentioned in prophecy that a man shall conquer his daemons and cast our dark masters back into the Hell from whence they came. You are that man. I made certain of it.

         This will be very hard to accept Expurgator, but it is the truth that has been denied to us for six years. Valimaar, there is a reason you cannot remember your past. It is because you do not have one. You do, but its not from this life that you've come to know. You and your brethren of the Executors were created once the sign had come. You are the spirit of a great daemon sewn to the fabric of a mortal that has long since passed. We oversaw the rituals according to Peymon's instruction.

         Valimaar, you are a daemon. You are Ithaca, Azaal's first born son. You are also who you are now. The spirit of a deceased man lingers inside of you. It fights against Ithaca every waking moment. He was a powerful man in life. A man of virtue. Valimaar Andreyev was his name. All of your brethren came from the house of Andreyev. But you are different. His brothers were wicked men who preyed upon the weak. They murdered him and his wife. Your spirit is vengeful Valimaar. Vengeance is a powerful emotion, especially in death.

         I know that you will conquer Ithaca's will. I never doubted you. That is why I chose you to carry Ithaca in the fabrics of your spirit. When the awakening begins, he shall call to you. You must ignore him. You must fight him. All of your brethren must do the same. If they do not, you must do what is right. You must kill them. If they return, it will be the doom of man.

         I am truly sorry for everything that has happend Expurgator. I did what I had to do in order to ensure the survival of humanity. I regret that I was part of the abominations that happened six years ago, but I had no choice. This would have come to pass with or without the Ecclesiarchy, they simply made certain that it would be in their control. I was never one of them Valimaar.

         Go with Azul Valimaar. She shall guide your steps. Always remember that we Wytches are not your enemy. You still have men and women on your side, both in Lokken and Ecclesia. They will find you. I go now to my doom. Know that I never blamed you for what you've done. You were deceived. As were we all.

         Father Gordon

         He wrinkled the parchment in his fist as his muscles locked. His arms began to twitch and his head spun. Rage poured upon him as molten metal from a cauldron. They all had lied to him.

         "Now you be knoing the truth," Abbadin said, as he motioned for Valimaar to sit. "You be a pawn in their game, but no more. You be knowing what happened."

         "What does it say," Lady Elaine asked as she tried to pull it from his hand.

         Valimaar recoiled. She would never trust him if she knew. Who was he? He wasn't even human. He was a shell - a walking corpse. Little more than a memory that had yet to be forgotten. The righteousness that he stood for was conceived by evil, just as he.

         "How do I know that this is the truth?"

         Jazira sat on the floor beside him. "Look with your eyes Valimaar. There be a dark time upon us. If it all be a lie, why then do you be coming to us and not your Arbiter?"

         "I don't know what to believe."

         "You be only human like the rest of us," she said as she placed her hand on his back. "You be making the choices for yourself. Rakin did not tell you to come to us. You sought us out on your own will."

         "I thought you could help us."

         "And did we not help you? Did we not show you the truth?"

         He shook his head. This was too much to understand. The whole world - his whole world, was a lie. "I don't know what to believe in."

         Jazira smiled. "Believe in yourself. You be stronger than you think. Rakin knew this, and now we do."

         He nodded.

         "What of this?" Lady Elaine pointed to the wooded box at her feet.

         "That be her prison," Jazira replied.

         "Whose prison?"

         "Azaal's mistress, Jezebeth."

         "What do you mean it's her prison?" She asked, backing away from the box.

         "You be having much to learn Vicar Forane. We can teach you, but not here." Jazira said as she turned toward the door. "We be needing to get this thing away from here." She gestured toward the two silent men sitting on the floor. "Nijal, Shahir, make sure it be getting to Lokken."

         Lady Elaine snatched the box from the floor. "Absolutely not!"

         The two men stared at one another in bewilderment.

         "It's not safe here."

         "That may be the case, but I don't trust you."

         "Nor do I." Valimaar stood in defiance of the Wytches. "If it's to go to Lokken, we'll be taking it ourselves."

         "Ecclesians be ever stubborn." Jazira shook her head. "Be sure they don't find it before then."

         Screams outside poured into Valimaar's ears. They turned their heads to hear the shrieks grow to a roar. He could hear a great crowd of people growing beyond the door. Lady Elaine gave him a glare. He knew what she was thinking. The plague had finally reached Ecclesia.

         We will never stop coming.