The Heretic Priest -Sample Chapter-

He could not feel his hands.

He could not move.

He could barely breathe.

Meridith lay flat on his back, every limb secured, his face surrounded by steel tips pressed too close to his skin to be comfortable. He could not tell if it was a series of straps and cages or if he was in some sort of machine. At any rate, it didn’t matter because he couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. He was only able to stare up at the ceiling at the paintings that depicted Azrael’s journey through the seven hells.

How very befitting.

It felt as though there were several weights pressed against his chest. His breath was coming sluggishly, and every crawling second he felt closer to passing out. He heard whispers nearby and every now and then Malhii would speak up, but other than the he knew nothing of his fate. He knew nothing, either, of Varijin – the priest he had traveled with. Was he being tortured, too, or had he already been put to death?

Meridith had no way of knowing.

“Good to see you are awake, my lord,” Malhii’s voice was too close to be comforting. Meridith jerked, but only served to drive the steel tips further into his cheek, drawing pinpricks of blood. Malhii chuckled.

“It wouldn’t do to struggle,” the high priest said. “It isn’t like you can do much with it.” He stepped into Meridith’s view, looming over the young baron’s head, and looked down at him with a horrible smile. “I would offer my sympathies, but I must confess – I am happy for this opportunity. There are many things I have wanted to try that a specimen such as you would be ideal to handle.”

Meridith cringed inwardly, his stomach knotting. He tried to speak, but white hot pain stabbed him in the jaw. His eyes rolled back into his head with a sharp intake of breath and he felt his arms tug violently against his bonds. His jaw had to be broken.

“I have been wanting to ask you a few questions for some time,” Malhii walked out of view, and Meridith heard the clank of metal. “There are many puzzling things happening in Dragoloth, and as you can imagine that is causing a great stir up in the heavens. I for one do not wish to live to see Azrael swallow the moon and cast the world into darkness. Do you?” a pause. “No, of course not. That is why you are going to tell me everything.”

Cold, bony fingers grabbed Meridith by the jaw and forced his mouth open. Meridith screamed in agony, wishing he could thrash and break free from Malhii’s grip. He felt the mouth of a bottle being pushed between his lips and a scalding liquid gushed down his throat. Meridith coughed and sputtered, and Malhii drew the bottle away. A few more agonizing seconds past, and as Meridith’s cough abated – so did his pain. He tried to move jaw and found it to be once again in working order.

“You didn’t think I would do such permanent damage this soon?” Malhii smiled.

Meridith snarled. “What do you want with me, Malhii?”

“I want what Azrael wants. Someone is trying to corrupt this kingdom, this clergy. A heretic priest is seeking to betray him and I want to root them out and destroy them.” Malhii gripped Meridith’s chin and pulled his head forward. The steel tips dragged across Meridith’s skin. He felt hot blood trickling down his cheeks and temples.

“I will tell you nothing,” Meridith said.

“You will tell me all,” Malhii released him and disappeared once more from view. “Probably not at first, but after a few hours with just the two of us, getting to know each other, developing an intimate bond … I have a feeling you will tell me everything. And after a few more hours I might feel inclined to believe you.”

Meridith opened his mouth to protest again, but all he managed in achieving was another scream. A new agony tore its way through the hands that he thought he couldn’t feel. Tears swelled in his eyes, and through them he could barely make out Malhii waving something bloody and small clenched between the teeth of a metal clamp. It was probably a fingernail, Meridith thought.

“I thought we would start small,” Malhii said, jabbing Meridith in the cheek with the tip of the bloody fingernail. “Then we will move on to more … extreme measures.” He picked up a bottle of brandy with his other hand and pulled the cork loose with his teeth, spitting it to the side. “I have it on good authority that you have decided to worship Saldon.”

Meridith said nothing. He clenched his teeth and tried his best to resemble stone. Malhii waited for him, taking a swig from the bottle and swishing it around in his mouth, but he didn’t swallow. For what seemed like a year Meridith lay in total silence, the only sound coming from the swishing in Malhii’s mouth. An eternity more passed, and then Malhii spit the brandy out onto Meridith’s hand. There was a jab of fresh agony, Meridith bit his lip to keep from screaming and drew blood.

“I have all day, Baron Turtem,” the high priest raised his clamp.

Meridith’s breath was coming out in short, ragged gasps. “I don’t know what you want to know,” he said desperately. “Who told you that I was Saldon’s devoted?”

Malhii’s expression was pure malice. “We’ve already spoken to your companion. And even if we had not, I would know for a fact that Varijin never travels with anyone who doesn’t fight for his side.”

Malhii lowered his clamps. Another stab of pain. Meridith groaned and felt the tears beginning to roll down his cheeks unbidden.

“The next one goes through your eye,” Malhii threatened, taking the brandy bottle up again. “You best start loosening up that tongue.”

“I do!” Meridith exclaimed, desperately. “You know that I do!”

Malhii paused, holding his clamps mid-air.

“Do what?” he egged on.

“I follow Saldon,” Meridith’s voice was almost a whisper.

“Underneath which high priest?” Malhii pressed. “Is it Varijin?”

Meridith shook his head.

Malhii growled and disappeared from sight yet again. Meridith heard the clamps fall from the high priest’s fingers with a thud and he heard the scraping of new metal. He dreaded what could possibly come next.

“Meridith,” the high priest came back purring. “You know I think you are a beautiful creature. But I am in a terrible rush. And I can’t afford to have you dilly-dallying.” Meridith saw him reach forward and felt two fingers land near his right eye, pulling on the skin and forcing him to keep it open. “I will give you one more chance to start running your tongue.”

Meridith hesitated. He ran his tongue over his dry, cracked lips. Malhii remained expressionless, waiting. Meridith didn’t reply, and so Malhii tipped something over his eye.