An Ocean of Lies (AFOS II)

Chapter 29: Laurentius

Laverna remained quiet, tall and menacing in front of the nobles gathered in the Cathedral. She moved only when the last distinguishable noise was that of the dripping sound of the condensed fog, traveling through the chains sustaining the firerocks hovering above her. The Cathedral enhanced her voice, the echoes made the structure tremble to the core, but none seemed to notice; his beetle body could feel the stone pulsating under his tiny legs, it was hard to focus. He fled in circles, keeping to the shadows, untouched by the firerocks' soft light silhouettes and as far away as possible from the High Priestess' gaze. Her voice was pure steel and ice underneath that soft manner of speech: she didn't fool him, not one bit.

She talked about the bodies outside like they were paintings hanging on a wall, something far away from them, fiction. Almost like a mother, she asked, begged, everyone to please stay put for the time being, until the Onturian Knights sorted things out. It was a sad misunderstanding, the mages had not— and she repeated— been hanged by Onturian Knights. They were safe inside the walls of the Cathedral, for the time being. Everyone fell quiet. Some staves, previously lit with power, were slowly releasing their magic. He could feel it, as could all the mages in the room perhaps, that tingling, the soft hum of raw power leaving their grasp and back into the wild. All except a woman in the back. She wore a necklace, bright purple, it looked almost as if it glowed from within. Such jewelry was forbidden in the Kingdom of Ontur, but nobles got away with it, especially if they were trying to hide their magic to perform it with more freedom. The woman stood up, the sound of her dress filled the Cathedral, shutting The High Priestess up.

"Who did it, then? Do you expect us to believe those mages hung themselves up there? We have seen the," she paused to take an angry breath, "the illustrative flyers your Onturian Knights have been leaving about the city. I don't feel safe inside the Cathedral of Mist," she clenched her fingers, was she hiding sparks of fire inside them? "As a mage, I find it repulsive. I'm leaving." General gasping and murmuring. From a corner, he saw a small figure disappearing further into the Cathedral. Well thought, Wyn.

"It's dangerous outside, my dear, It'd be best if you remained seated, for the time being. We can proceed with our mass, as usual, have the Creators' light shed upon us," Laverna lifted her arms.

"You didn't answer her question, High Priestess, with all due respect," a man, a mage wearing a staff strapped to his back, stood up in the middle of his row. "Four mages are dead, I saw it with my own eyes. Executed. As a mage myself, I won't stand by this. Lord Volstad will hear of it, he won't be pleased."

"We want to see the Keeper of Blood," another voice. "We haven't seen him in months! We need answers."

Soon, every mage in the heart of the Cathedral was up. Their staves faintly glowing.

"I understand your concerns, but the Onturian Knights are dealing with it," she said, her voice steady, sweet, hypnotic.

"We want the Kings' Guard to look into it, the Onturian Knights are not a neutral party," someone said, then stage-whispered, "and they probably did it, hey?"

Nervous laughter, angry whispers.

"King Markel is dead, and has been for months," Laverna's voice almost cracked. What did she look like behind that black screen? Scared? Angry?

"The King left his advisor in charge, until we hold elections. The Onturian Church has no authority..."

"We have the authority bestowed upon us by the Creators and Ontur himself. We are the kingdom. I suggest you all go back to your seats," she struggled to keep her voice level and sweet.

A couple of Onturian Knights came out from the shadows behind her, standing side by side, their weapons ready. The mages sat down, quietly.

The mass began.