Will frowned. Nadine? he thought. He started to reach out for her, but the desire washed away. He looked around him at the thousands and thousands of creatures that surrounded him. He could sense their confusion. Many thought to attack and devour the creature next to it, but Will held them in check. Will watched a fox lick its chops and stare at a rabbit standing right before it, before looking back at Will.
Will chuckled. “I wanted to tell you everything is going to be fine. Erebus is gone. We won.”
The life around him waited. Hawks circling overhead cried out and Will sensed their hunger. All around him life wanted to take life: he sensed the need to devour, destroy, and succeed to live for another day. The struggle of life was complex. Will knew now just how horrible and vicious it could be. He had hoped nature would want to hear his words. But the truth was, it didn’t care. They only wanted to be near him. Nature cared little for what he said.
Will smiled. With Gaea gone, the task of responding to the needs of the land fell directly on the draoi. Before, Gaea would take care of the day-to-day needs of the land. Now, Will and the draoi had to step up and fill that role where needed. The Simon motes were everywhere in Belkin. Will knew his sense of nature was merely information sent to him from the motes. He didn’t care. It was different now than with Gaea. This time the motes responded directly to him. Now that Gaea was gone, the control was all his. He had worried about it. He feared he would mess everything up. He wanted to go back and ask Gaea so many questions, but it was too late for that. Fortunately, nature had been surviving for millennia without the draoi and knew how to continue without draoi influence. Now that Erebus was eradicated, nature seemed to be thriving. Gaea must have known this would happen.
Reports from the coast and from the draoi’s own investigation, they knew the fish off the coasts were moving deeper and following fishing paths long ago abandoned. Will knew that Gaea had kept the fish close to avoid the influence of Erebus. Now they were free to return to their instinctually known feeding grounds. Fishing off the coast had changed almost overnight, but the fishing fleets were adapting.
Will expected a massive increase in the amount of life over the next few years. The draoi would need to monitor the increase and keep the harmony of nature in balance. It was an art and a difficult concept. The complexities of the interaction of nature was diverse and seriously challenging. Thankfully, being draoi came with an inherent knowledge of how it worked. It had surprised him to discover this. He knew everything from how the smallest spore to the largest animal on the planet interacted. Will was certain his draoi would rise to the challenge. Nature would need very little draoi influence. It was finding its own way.
As a plus, he could now completely ignore the politics of the humans. He cared little for the realm of Belkin and who ruled and whether they were worthy. It had nothing to do with nature. Nadine had disagreed and had spoken to him the other day about it…
“Nadine?” whispered Will to the wildlife. “Why do I care what Nadine wants?”
Will's control over the creatures surrounding him faltered and for a moment the creatures poised to attack one another in hunger. Will felt startled and worried about the life surrounding him. Then a feeling of peace washed over him, and Will smiled at the creatures surrounding him and released them from his control. In seconds the serene scene in front of him descended into chaos as animal turned on animal and insect turned on insect. The air filled with a cacophony of death and destruction. Will sat on his stone and smiled and rocked himself backwards and forwards.
Seven
Munsten, August 902 A.C.
EYLENE KISSANE KNELT before the altar of the Church of the New Order deep within the Munsten Castle. Sitting on the altar was the headdress of the Archbishop. Soon it would settle on her head and she would welcome the weight. She felt all eyes on her back and kept control of the tight smile that threatened to split her face wide open in glee. The newly ordained bishops and deans owed her their allegiance. They had voted and agreed that the lowly girl from Shape, Turgany would rise to become the new Archbishop of Belkin. Years of planning and positioning had come to fruition. Decades of work were represented in that headdress.
The girl born in Shape so long ago had changed. Years ago she had met the former Archbishop Reginald Greigsen and King Hietower when she was only twelve years old when they were touring the churches of the land. The Archbishop had taken a fancy to her and raped her in the backroom of her father’s house. Her father had found out and in a rage had attacked the Archbishop as they were preparing to leave. She had watched in horror as the King’s guards had struck down her father and killed him. The King said nothing. He had watched her father struck down and then turned to the Archbishop and laughed about something and rode away.
The men from the church had sat with her then. They explained with great reverence what was the greater good of the world. The holy position the King held and the Archbishop’s need to save the souls of the land. Then they offered her a place within their ranks. She remembered the look the Archbishop had given her when he had ridden away. He had looked back at her with a look of longing. She had the first glimmer of the power her sex gave her and tucked that away while the corpse of her father cooled outside their farm house.
The church men handed her over to the deacon in Shape and rode away on horseback. The deacon was a devout and pious man, but easily influenced. Over the years she wielded her small power and gained influence over him and the church in Shape. She started rumours. Spread falsehoods when needed. All the while knowing she needed to wrest the power of the church from the likes of Godless men like Greigsen. She put in motion the effort to take down the King and over years they had slowly poisoned him. The Revolution had not been in their plans and it stopped them in their tracks. Slowly over the years, they watched Healy and pressured him in subtle ways to lead the country to the disaster it became. The country was ripe for her final plans. And now the church was hers. Her vision for the future was nearly in her grasp.
She looked out of the corner of her eyes and sighted the empty throne where the monarch of Belkin would normal sit. Sitting next to it was the current ruler: Regent Brent Bairstow. He looked a little lost to her with his eyes a little wider than they should be. Behind him, standing demurely with her hands behind her back was his new executive assistant. A navy wench, a mere lieutenant. She appeared out of nowhere, but it appears she only has eyes for Brent. And he’s clueless to her affections. Eylene mentally rolled her eyes and forced her thoughts back to the ceremony.
Brent should never have allowed this, she thought with a smile. He is so easily swayed by religious dogma. And Lana's powers. He is handing me the reins to this kingdom and doesn’t even know it. Well, perhaps not a kingdom for much longer.
Her thoughts turned briefly to Edward and the draoi mission to place him on the throne. She had no doubts he was Hietower's bastard. He was the spitting image of the King. She could never allow him to rise to power. The Church, under her sway, had worked so long for their goal. The unexpected reveal of Edward had caused the church in Shape to accelerate their plans. The draoi would one day soon reveal his lineage and that could not be allowed. It had the potential to overturn years and years of work.
The church in Shape had long ago distanced itself from the cannon of the Church of the New Order. The Deacon had witnessed the horror of the Archbishop and King and over time, with Eylene whispering in his ear, had turned his parish away from the main edicts. The Revolution had solidified that effort. And now Eylene led the Church of Belkin, and her followers were found in every church of the Realm; hidden amongst the misguided parishioners of the Church of the New Order. They had influence over nearly every aspect of the Church of the New Order and the monarchy over the years. Now was their time to shine.
Her thoughts reeled, and she found herself thinking of the gaol buried deep beneath her within the castle. She was pleased to have Katherine, Dog, James and Heather secure in the dungeon. The collars and he
rbs were keeping them mindless and without power. Feeding them was proving difficult; especially with the dog. She was determined to keep them alive until she knew she could do without them. The Church argued for their immediate execution and Eylene fought tooth and nail to keep them alive. I will use them to my advantage. Waste not want not.
Behind her, one of her new Cardinals read from the ritual to raise her as the Archbishop and a shudder of sudden pleasure rippled through her. She snuck a look at Brent and found him looking at her with curiosity. She couldn’t help it and frowned at him and he looked away.
Better. He's learning. By the Word, my knees are hurting.
The Cardinal finished his portion of the ritual and stepped down from the podium. He moved beside her, and another Cardinal joined him on her other side. Together they lifted her up and held her firm. She now better understood this part of the ritual—after an hour on her knees she could barely straighten them. She gasped at the pain but forced her legs to unbend. She found her footing and snuck a smile at the two cardinals who smiled back and then released her. They had been two of her first converts to the Church of Belkin.
Eylene turned to the audience. The pews were filled to capacity. She looked out at her cardinals, deans and vicars and smiled. She spotted Lana in the crowd and widened her smile just for her. Eylene could see a blush rise in her cheeks. Eylene walked around to the other side of the altar and then up the stairs to the seat of the archbishop. She stopped before it and turned around.
One the cardinals stepped forward and read from the ritual. “Regent, ladies and gentlemen. Eylene Kissane has been found worthy of the position of Archbishop of Belkin by a tribunal of her peers. She alone has been chosen to lead our Church and the people of the land. I ask that you all rise.”
The sound of fabric rustling filled the air as the audience rose to their feet. Brent Bairstow stood and turned toward her and Eylene smiled at yet another small victory. The King should be officiating this ceremony and would never stand for the Archbishop. For him to stand was symbolising a subservience.
Eylene beamed a smile at the audience and lowered herself into the seat of the Archbishop. It was hard and uncomfortable, but she loved it. Years of work had led to this moment. The Church was hers, the Regent in the palm of her hand, and half the draoi were looking to her for leadership.
The two cardinals lifted the headdress and lifted it up and held it over her head. Slowly they lowered it until it rested on her head. The weight pressed down, and she struggled to hold it steady. With my luck, it will topple off in front of everyone. As suddenly as the weight was there, she felt the power of the druids surge through her strengthening her neck muscles. Lana is a Godsend, thought Eylene.
“We ordain you as Archbishop Eylene Kissane.”
Eylene settled herself and kept her eyes closed. She waited a moment listening. All her life she imagined that God would speak to her in this moment. She was the closest to God of all the clergy. God spoke to the Archbishop, she was certain of that. It was more than just symbolism. God would speak to her.
Lord, I am yours to Command.
God?
She waited a moment more, but all she heard were the soft whisperings of the audience. She heard more than a few people comment on how pious she was being. But God wasn’t speaking to her. Unexpectedly, a feeling of fear washed over her, but she quickly replaced it with irritation and sensibility.
Her eyes snapped open. Right, that’s done with. I knew it, there is no god. Now to business.
She rose to her feet, careful to keep the weight of the headdress centred above her and raised her arms. “God’s Blessings on all of you!”
The audience cheered and clapped. Eylene beamed a smile and nodded as best she could with the weight of the headdress. She looked at Brent and he bowed deeply to her. Better and better.
The applause continued loud and thunderous without end. A small commotion caught her attention and she looked over to find people turning to look at something. In a moment, the rest of the audience slowly became aware and shouting could be heard. The applause petered out and suddenly the voice of Martin Jordan could be heard.
“Blasphemy! Blasphemy! You should all be ashamed!”
Eylene searched for him and finally spotted Martin. He was being held by Church guards and struggling against them. Eylene groaned inwardly but kept the smile on her face. “Let him approach! Guards! Let him go. He is a man of the cloth, sworn to God. Let him speak.”
The Church guard let go of Martin and he lurched forward a moment before gaining his feet. Eylene could see many in the audience openly scowling at Martin. She caught the eye of Lana and was pleased to see Lana nod to her. Better and better.
“Approach Vicar Jordan! Approach your Archbishop. What is your complaint?”
Martin sputtered and strode up to stand near Brent. Eylene saw Brent signal his guard to stay back. Martin looked at Brent for a moment and then turned his attention to Eylene and walked up to the altar and stood before her.
“Blasphemy! Remove that headdress! You have no right to it! Only the King can anoint the position of Archbishop! You know this! You twist and bend our most sacred rituals to your own end. Have you no shame? Blasphemy! God is watching you!” He turned to Brent. “Please, stop this madness!”
Eylene moved forward and stood beside the altar and looked down at him. “Dear Vicar Jordan, long have we listened to your council. You have been through many trials of your faith, and yet you doubt ours. It is God who wants this. It is through the Church that the Realm will be calmed, and peace returned. You speak against that which you do not grasp. Calm yourself, approach and seek my blessing. You may be the first.”
Martin’s face grew scarlet. His mouth gaped and Eylene was pleased by the effect of her words on him. He looks the part of a madman now. Martin stepped closer and lifted an accusing finger toward her. “Remove that headdress! You know nothing of faith! Nothing!” Eylene watched Martin fumble at the neck of his tunic for something. A Church guard stepped forward, but Eylene motioned him back. Martin pulled out his wooden amulet and held it forward. “My faith has been confirmed by God himself! He has spoken to me! Gifted me with this! You know this to be true!”
Eylene forced her face to take on an expression of sympathy mixed with pity. By the smiles on the faces of the audience near her she was sure she had it right. Brent was staring at Martin with some horror. Better and better.
“Enough, Vicar Jordan. Cease this madness.”
“Madness? Madness? You seek to take this realm for your own! I know what you are capable of! You must be stopped by any means!”
Eylene caught the eye of Lana and gave an imperceptible nod. Lana smiled and then her eyes lost focus.
Martin sputtered and then froze in place. The audience gasped and looked around. Eylene raised her hands. “Relax good people of Belkin! The draoi are assisting us here today. Fear not. Vicar Martin here has just threatened me directly.” She looked to Brent. “You heard Regent, did you not?”
Brent looked even more horrified but nodded his head.
Eylene held her headdress, looked down, and shook her head a moment before looking up. She forced her most stern expression and stood before Martin. “Vicar Martin, you leave me no choice. I offered you blessing and instead you threaten the Archbishop directly. I know not what manner of violence you intend upon my person, but I will not lower myself to your level. The Church of the New Order is about peace and forgiveness. But some things are unforgivable. You are henceforth excommunicated from the Church. You are stripped of all titles to the Church. Wherever you walk, none shall aide you or abet you. You are persona non grata in Belkin.”
Eylene reached up and tore the amulet from Martin’s hand and snapped the leather thong from his neck. She held it in one hand and nodded to the Church guard. She tossed the amulet onto the altar. She held Brent’s eyes for a moment and was pleased to see Brent looking shocked, but he did not interfere. Better and better.
The
Church guard seized Martin by the upper arms. Eylene waived her hand and Lana released Martin. He staggered forward but was held firm by the guard. He opened his mouth to protest, but Lana kept his voice still. Eerily, Martin was dragged in silence out of the hall. The audience watched him struggle with his face bright red and his eyes bulging. As he passed Brent, he looked to him and seeing the expression of revulsion on his face Martin looked away and sobbed in silence. In moments he was gone, and a door slammed shut.
Eylene faced the audience. “People of Belkin be at peace. We have a united Church. We promise peace and order across the Realm. My vicars will head to village and town and provide comfort! They leave tomorrow! Rejoice!”
The crowd burst into applause and rose to their feet. Cheering started at the back, no doubt by one of her own people, but soon it spread across the crowd. Eylene beamed her most humble, but gracious smile for all to see. She saw Brent still looking toward where Martin had left and then turn and face Eylene. In a moment, he smiled too and joined the applause. Better and better, indeed.
Eylene turned back to her seat in triumph. She looked to the altar for the amulet and saw it was gone. Her step faltered for a moment before she made it to her seat of power.
Vicar Martin Jordan was dragged face down, held at the shoulders, with his toes dragging through the streets of Munsten by the Church Guard and he fought to free his voice, but knew it was futile. He recognised the power of the draoi and knew it was Lana. I suspected her and now I know.
Turning his head to the side, Martin saw the people on the street stop and stare at him and point. Some even laughed out loud. He soon stopped struggling altogether and watched the street cobblestone pass underneath him.
God? Why? You cannot want this? Please tell me what to do.
Martin waited for a response, but hearing nothing, he sobbed, his voice finally freed.
It took time to drag Martin through the streets, but eventually they made it to the main south gate. A sizeable crowd followed behind and hooted and jeered. Martin felt shamed and kept his head hung below his shoulders. His toes were raw from rubbing on the cobblestones, but he barely felt the pain. I have lost. All is lost.
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