Kerioth smelt the same as the last time he had visited; hot garbage. Emphasis on the hot, it was sweltering. Marshal was already sweating and he only just stepped off the plate. At least in the Messiah’s Land there was a cool sea breeze, here it is just sitting air filled with human waste.

  When he entered, the six ash-knights forced their reverence onto him and to their credit, it was strong. Using their shields to direct its flow and surrounding him on all sides Marshal was forced to a knee grimacing and trapped. They could have killed him. However, they were not at war, not yet – or at least they did not know it yet - and upon seeing they had assaulted a holy-knight they stepped back.

  Marshal stood up and breathed deeply through his nose. They are just doing their job, he had to remind himself. It was something he had to remind himself every time he stepped through those cursed plates and be attacked without discrimination. To show the six knights he meant no harm he forced them a smile, yet all of them shuddered with fear upon seeing it. A beast bears its fangs, is how Marshal’s smile had been described to him before.

  ‘Sir!’ the troop leader said, putting his fist to his forehead in salute. ‘I cry pardon for our mistake, we were not warned of any visits today.’

  Marshal pointed that smile at the man in his tin armour. I could crush it so easily. And as if sensing his thoughts the man’s forehead dripped sweat over his wide eyes. Marshal knew his foul mood was not this man’s fault. He never wanted to return to this city.

  ‘There is no pardon to cry, you were doing your job.’ At this, the knight relaxed somewhat. ‘However, when my squire comes through, I trust you will leave her be? She has had a tough week.’

  He dropped to a knee. ‘Of course sir.’

  Not even a second later there was an explosion of light. No star fell from the sky, but one burst inside the glass hexagonal room and when the living bonfire cleared it revealed Elizabeth. She stood with her hands on her hips. Her face was very serious with a drawn mouth and downturned eyebrows, but to Marshal it was adorable in the way only a child's anger is. She is no child, I must remember that. Elizabeth was a woman grown, if not by the sword hanging from her waist and the scar that ran down her cheek, then by her mettle she had proved in battle. And her determination. She had never won a fight that Marshal could recall, yet she always charged into the next challenge. She stepped off the plate. The way she moved had authority and the ash-knights stepped back in respect almost like she was a holy-knight herself. Her black hair flowed behind her and her black eyes only looked forward.

  The next challenge would be soon, Marshal could feel it looming. In part, the entire coup rested on this mission, this assassination. The fall of Purgatory must be prevented at all costs. Archdemon Saleos must be barred from this world and therefore his agent of Hell must be exterminated before they could cause any more damage. Alek Howell must be slain without mercy.

  * * * *

  Callum, a priest with curly orange hair, guided Marshal and Elizabeth to the top floor of the cathedral. He had a habit of sniffling his nose and wiping it with his finger as he walked which did no favours for Marshal's already foul mood. As they stepped onto the fourth floor he gave it one large snort and Marshal cracked.

  ‘Would you just blow the damn thing and be done with it? I can’t stand to hear another second.’

  ‘I’m sorry I-’ His face went pale as if Marshal was yelling at the boy, but he was only speaking in a normal voice.

  ‘Just get out of her.’ Marshal waved his arm dismissively, almost smacking the boy and he scurried down the stairs without another word.

  A kick landed solidly in Marshall's thigh, hard enough to leave a bruise. Looking up, Elizabeth was giving another very angry glare that he had a hard time avoiding.

  ‘Can you yelling? Your voice hurts my ears.’

  ‘I wasn’t yelling was I?’

  ‘You were screaming,’ she said, turning around. She marched ahead of him down a long hallway filled with portraits of old men, likely either now retired to some far part of the world or Hell. At the end of the hall was a wide double-door. Elizabeth planted her boot so forcefully in its middle that the thing nearly fell off its hinges. Both sides slammed on the far wall and light streamed out. On the far wall was a large circular window that faced west, catching the setting afternoon sun and in the centre of its glare sat a stout man with slicked back hair and his hands clasped in front of his chin. The arch-bishop of Iscariot. His eyes raised at the exploding door, but appeared otherwise unfazed. ‘The Red Bear!’ he said at first yelling past the girl to Marshal behind. ‘What an unexpected visit, snd you brought your cub, pleasure to meet you. You can call me Father, or Kuldeep if you prefer. What’s your name?’

  Marshal had caught up and stepped by her side. ‘Beth,’ he said, answering for her.

  However, she said ‘Elizabeth,’ at the same time.

  ‘Oh, yes. Elizabeth,’ Marshal said to Suraj and then turned to his squire. ‘Sorry Beth.’

  She gave him a glare that looked both angry and embarrassed.

  Kuldeep Suraj kept smiling through his teeth, but Marshal could almost smell the fear behind his ears. And what would you have to fear?

  ‘How have you been Marshal?’

  ‘Let’s cut the pleasantries, Arch-bishop.’

  He smiled wider. Already alarms bells were going off in Marshal’s mind. Suraj was never a jovial man. It had been long since they had met, but still this change seemed unnatural.

  ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’ he asked.

  However, no matter what Marshal thought was strange, he had a mission to complete. ‘We request your assistance in finding someone either in, or near the city. On holy-order business.’

  ‘Of course, I'm always happy to help. I am most loyal to the holy-order.’

  For a man of the church - which would very soon be overthrown - this comment struck Marshal as strange. ‘Would your loyalty not lay first and foremost with the Cardinals?’ It was good to be loyal to the holy-order, but an arch-bishop should be loyal to the Church first. Normally, they were one and the same, but sometimes semantics mattered, especially in a coup.

  Suraj thumped his chest and pointed to the wall next to them. It was lined with dozens of weapons from swords and daggers to shields and spears, but at the very top was a beautiful golden spear. ‘I am a warrior at heart,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, I seem to remember you fighting on the enemy's side in the second holy war.’

  Suraj laughed. Marshal had never heard him laugh. ‘True, but I fought by your side in the war of three kings and it is the last fight that matters. Well I didn’t literally fight by your side, I don’t think anyone alive today can claim that.’

  A cord was struck through Marshal’s heart and he failed at hiding it. His lips turned into a frown and his hand waved towards his sword, but no it was too soon. Suraj would fall with Kerioth, but not today, today he needed him.

  ‘Can you old men stop yapping about your war stories,’ Elizabeth said. ‘You can reminisce all you want in your retirement homes over a bowl of porridge spoon fed by the nurse.’

  Suraj burst out laughing. ‘It is always the new generation that pushes change. Wouldn’t you say Marshal?’

  He reluctantly nodded.

  ‘But yes,’ Suraj said, ‘I am most loyal to the order – and the cardinals - and will do anything they request. Tell me what details you have of this person and I will help you find him.’

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Wise words if you want to survive the regime change. Marshal thought. But he couldn’t possibly know of the coup could he? The first strike on Petros, city of Peter wouldn’t start until morning. Marshal pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. If Suraj knew, he would have killed them on the plate when the ash-knights had the chance.

  ‘We don’t know what he looks like, but his name is Alek Howell. He is a demon-whisperer and a threat to Purgatory.’

  Suraj’s eyes widened in either shock or recognition then it all vanished into hysterical laughter. He slammed his fist on the desk as he bellowed. The noises were draining on Marshal’s ears and again he felt the itch of his fingers go to his sword.

  ‘Well I can save you the trouble of looking,’ Suraj said, struggling to catch his breath. ‘I was just about to send a message requesting an escort for him to Carandiru. I have already contacted the mud-man and he said he will reserve a cell for the boy.’

  At this Marshal did draw his sword. It glimmered in the last specks of falling sun that streamed through the window behind the arch-bishop. ‘There will be no need for an escort or a cell after today and there will be no need for you to exert yourself either. If we have Saleos’ agent then we might as well take out two birds with one stone. You crime was not dispatching him as soon as you discovered.’

  Marshal was looking at Kuldeep Suraj’s neck. It was fat and ready for the taking. Maybe if the man had his spear it would be worth the fight and at this idea Marshal didn’t mind. He needed something to vent his frustration on.

  ‘So you come to kill me and the boy?’

  Marshal threw the golden spear like a javelin. Suraj caught it without moving, the tip inches from his heart. It wouldn’t pierce him anyway without a coating.

  Suraj looked down at the weapon and surely he understood the message.

  ‘What about the boy underneath, will you give him a fair fight?’

  ‘No,’ Elizabeth said, ‘he needs to die.’

  ‘And why is that, Young Lady?’

  ‘He stands in my way.’

  Suraj put down the spear, leaving him open and by God Marshal nearly took the opportunity. ‘Well I have bad news for the both of you. You cannot kill that boy.’

  ‘Shut up,’ Elizabeth said, drawing her own blade.

  Marshal put a hand in front of her. ‘Speak.’

  Suraj shrugged. ‘I don’t know what your goal is.’ Yet his eyes said he did know. ‘However, I do know that you do not want Hell to invade Purgatory and if you kill Alek Howell, you will be giving Saleos what he wants.’

  ‘And how do you know this?’ Marshal asked.

  ‘Because I tortured the kid,’ Suraj said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. ‘He squealed instantly, which made me think he was lying and I continued to push him. He would have died ten-times over if it weren’t for my pet doctor, but it seems now that you’re in my office he was telling the truth all along.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And Saleos has been whispering to him, which is probably why you want to kill him, but that's not all. Saleos has not being trying to use him, Saleos has been trying to kill the kid. He has been whispering for him to bite his own tongue off. Saleos wants him dead. I don’t know why, but he needs Alek Howell in Hell to do whatever he is planning. So unless you want an arch-demon destroying Purgatory, we need to keep that kid alive.’

  ‘I have my orders.’

  ‘And you have a fucking brain too don’t you? Or do bears go without them?’

  Marshal put a hand to his chin. It’s never straight forward is it. He sheathed his sword.

  ‘You can’t be listening to this crap can you?’ Elizabeth asked.

  ‘Unfortunately I am. If- and I mean IF he is telling the truth then killing Saleos’ agent would be the worst case scenario.’

  ‘Correct. Would you listen to what I propose?’

  Marshal made a twirling go ahead gesture.

  ‘It’s pretty simple. We lock him up in Carandiru in a cell he will never escape and force feed him lifespan for eternity where he can never die and never live, never cause harm. It's worked with a troublesome pest before, hasn't it?’

  Methuselah no his name now is Fahreddin, Marshal thought then shivered.

  ‘To get him there,’ Suraj said, ‘we won’t be able to use the plates. It’s too risky as we would have to take his shackles off for it to function and then he would be free to teleport to any city, even to the west. It would be best to form a party and escort him physically to the island prison. He is a crafty one and difficult to deal with. Beware that boy, I say this seriously.’

  ‘If we took him through the plates he would land in the Messiah’s land where twelve ash-knights would paralyse him with reverence,’ Elizabeth said and Marshal nodded agreeing with her point. There was no need for a long journey.

  Suraj shook his head. ‘The kid’s immune to reverance. Completely and totally, the aura of the angle sitting in the sky doesn’t even faze him. That’s actually how we found him originally then later when we thought an entire troop of knights would be enough to detain him for questioning the kid nearly fucking escaped. He’s quick.’

  Through this Suraj was beginning to chuckle again as if reminiscing on something funny no one else saw.

  ‘Immunity to reverence, what is that some kind of devil’s gift?’

  Suraj shrugged. ‘Have you ever heard of anything like that for a gift? No I think not. I don’t know what it is, but I doubt it's from Saleos. As a counter point I think in some way that quality is what interests Saleos so much.’

  Marshal didn't know what to say. It all got too complicated too quickly. Killing the kid is bad, focus on that for now. Marshal met Suraj’s eyes, he had a shit-eating grin on his face. I will deal with him later.

  Elizabeth stepped towards the arch-bishop, sword in hand.

  ‘Put that thing away,’ Marshal told her.

  She did so, slowly, while giving Marshal another annoyed look.

  ‘So I get to live?’ Suraj asked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Fabulous.’

  ‘For now.’

  ‘Not fabulous.’

  ‘Stay loyal and do what we say, then we may reconsider your position. Beth, I need you to stay here. Guard this “Alek” and wait for me to return.’

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Back to Messiah’s Land. I need to talk to my master about this.’

  ‘How long will you be gone?’

  Master will probably be leading the first siege.

  ‘Hopefully an hour, but it could be a few days at the latest. In the meantime guard him with your life. No matter what, do not let him escape, our mission, your promotion and Lewis depend on it.’

  Marshal did not want to use her brother as motivation, her brother she will never reach, no matter how hard she tries, but this was too important and there was no one else he could trust. She nodded and her eyes were earnest. Her eyes were filled with trust. Her goal was impossible, Marshal just couldn’t bring himself to tell her.

  ‘What if it comes between the two?’ she asked.

  ‘How so?’

  ‘If it comes between him escaping and keeping him alive, if the only way I can prevent his escape is by killing him, what do I do?’

  Marshal smiled. ‘It won't come to that.’ He put his large hand on her head and stroked back the frizzled hairs.

  She pushed his hand away. ‘But what if it does?’

  ‘Then you decide.’