Succubus Inquisition Ch. 01

Before long, three big men walked into the tent. All of them had bushy black breads and black armor outlined in gold trimmings covered the rest of their bodies. If you didn't look closely at their faces you would have sworn they were identical triplets.

Hours passed as the five men sat around the fire, food was brought in at some point during their meeting. The decision had been made. The Monk Order could be a threat and the army would march. However the knight was not pleased that they wouldn't be marching to war.

A small group would approach the building and find out if they were hostile. The main army would prepare just in case but the General didn't want to risk a war over the possibility that the one monk had indeed acted alone. He wasn't convinced with the knight's scouting reports. The monastery sounded like a peaceful place and the last thing Titus wanted was innocent blood on his hands. There wasn't any honor in it. The scouts thus far only reported seeing men dressed like the monk, no weapons, and no military training grounds.

If they turned out to be a peaceful Order with a rogue member they would convert the march into a man hunt. Rather than wipe out a peaceful group of people. Sir Blake Barbatio didn't seem pleased at all but in the end, eased back on his protests. He was more than convinced that the monks were corrupted but saw reason with his General.

One of the black-bearded men had been busy drawling out the area around the monk's monastery. His name was Cugath, the strongest of the three council members. Cugath laid the map out on a table and the group migrated over to it. "It's time to come up with the battle plan in case things turn sour," he said.

The General nodded, "Yes, best be prepared for the worst as we pray for the best."

Cugath cleared his throat, "According to Sir Blake Barbatio's scouts there's a hill overlooking the valley here," he pointed on the map. "Titus you'll oversee everything from here," he then pointed to his colleges, "You two will take a group with you and break off from the main army at this crossroads. One of you will go in each direction and circle around to block the two back exits behind the monastery."

He was referring to two known paths. The main force would setup the blockade on the main road to the monastery; siege weapons would be set behind them.

The youngest of the three spoke up for the first time, "The cavalry should be placed on the hill, if anyone flees send a few horses after them. In case there are other paths we don't know about."

"My thoughts exactly, good catch."

"That should work," Titus leaned in and rubbed his brow. He hesitated for a moment and studied Sir Blake's expression. "Barbatio, you'll take a few men and lead the group to enter the monastery. Do take care and be polite. Imply that you're searching for a monk that attacked you and see how they react. Do not; I repeat do not start a fight."

The knight nodded and the council meeting ended, everyone headed for the tent's exit, "Get some rest, we'll match before first light."

A few hours later Sir Blake climbed on his horse and headed out of the camp. He was amazed at how quickly the army had packed up and began their march. A few paces ahead he saw Titus on his horse watching the march along with the Council member that drew the map, Cugath. He came up to them and exchanged nods. Before long he noticed the other two Council members on foot marching with the rest of the army.

"Shall we," General Titus asked before steering his horse and set off to reach the head end of the march, the knight and Council member followed close by.

*****

It was a long and perilous journey in the scorching desert sun, or at least it felt like it to Athanatos. In reality he had only been traveling for two days. The monk attempted to conserve his water supply, even though his body demanded more. The desert played tricks on the human mind, showing things in the distance that weren't really there, just mirages of false hope.

Athan's mind wanted to see his mentor's secret training grounds, which was little more than a shack--- the true facility was underground--- And because of this desire Athan saw the building in every direction he looked. In the open desert one often lost themselves, either physically or mentally.

Luck was on his side for he knew the way, over the dune and around the bend. Athan chuckled; the sun was getting to him. The true path was by following the stars at night, yet that was a double edged blade in the desert, since there was no shelter during the day. In a few hours the sun would begin to set and Athan would stop to rest. When the breeze would cool down slightly before the stars could be seen.

The bright stars came out to play and the climate shifted from extreme heat to bitter cold. Athan rejoiced and double timed it at night, with a clear heading and no scorching heat threatening to send him tumbling into insanity.

A few hours later he started to recognize the dun valley, as far as recognizing a dune valley on could, he was getting close. Another few hours--- if he was lucky before the sun rose again--- he would be there. Athan just hoped he wasn't too late; he planned on turning down the mission and returning to King Anders. He was torn between his duty and... well his duty.

There had to be someone else his mentor could take on this mission. Athan had bonded with and liked Anders as a friend; he would never be able to live with himself if something happened while he was away. And after the last conflict with the Syracuse he had a bad feeling.

Their numbers appeared endless battle after battle until suddenly as if by distraction the Arcadians were lead to a cavern system. A cavern system that appeared to be a trap yet they were met with little to no resistance.

It was as if...

Sand gave way under him and Athan landed face first into the dune only to slide down, somersaulting, more like uncontrolled rolling to an abrupt and painful halt. Laughter carried by the morning breeze met his ringing ears.

"Still have much to learn my young student," Athan's mentor shouted from a distance. Athanatos glared angrily at the man until he realized his mentor was just joking around. His mentor Yshomatsu had medium length blonde hair, a little darker than Athan's. They both had hazel, slightly green eyes. And as everything with Athan screamed young, rash and impulsive his mentor was the complete opposite. A big history buff, Yshomatsu carried a carefree attitude that unless you looked him in the eyes you'd never imagine the great wisdom he beheld.

Athan picked himself up and dusted himself off before he noticed the taste in his mouth. A few shits later and the clumps of sand were saved from being digested, the thought made him shiver in disgust. He gathered his wits and made his way over to his mentor and they exchanged greetings while shaking hands.

Athanatos stirred in his sleep, his dream replayed a time before the two monks changed their names. A simple fact his brain couldn't remember and it almost was enough to wake him up... almost.

They discussed current events as they made their way into Yshomatsu's so called hideout. Apparently the Monk Order had made a discovery that would change the world. A way for them to remain hidden within civilizations, they called it a Dream state or something, where their spirits could communicate while their bodies slept. It would bring a new meaning to the monk's quest to keep the balance of good and evil.

Yshomatsu explained the Order would fade from the public eyes and allow the rest of the world to do whatever they pleased. Monks would secretly be placed within ranks to keep an eye on things but wouldn't intervene. The Monk Order only planned on acting when true evil presented itself. And it was for that reason that Athan was recalled from his assignment. Yshomatsu explained a cult that worshiped some form of ancient monsters they called fallen ones.

A rough translation of the cult's words but the monk's elder believed they were demons. Old stores turned myths from a long forgotten past when humans didn't rule the world but were enslaved to the beasts. Yshomatsu went on to explain how important this mission was to find and eliminate the cultists, before they possibly could bring back the things nightmares were made from.

After a brief argument Athan caved and agreed to the mission, yet it left a foul taste in his mouth, and not for the first time this morning.

Once Athan was onboard he wondered why someone closer hadn't been called clearly the two, now three days for him to get here and prepare were now wasted. His mentor quickly stopped his student from going down that line of thought. For the two days it took Athan to arrive just so happened to be the exact amount of time he had needed to research leads and find a place to start looking. And the third they both used to mentally prepare for the things they might see.

Athan woke suddenly with a headache and a cold sweat. He remembered everything vividly, all but one detail. His old name, a minor detail that shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. The life he had before the change was like a grain of and in the vast desert compared to his life after the change. Yet he cherished those memories of his childhood and the innocent and eager student, life was good back then, not a worry or care in the world. Each moment was a new experience.

He sat up and wiped the sweat from his brow, reminded of the bloody sweat from his battle alongside King Anders. Athan never found out what really happened but shortly after his departure the king had been slain in combat. The Arcadians fought over who'd be the next king and later split into many factions. War and peace spread throughout the land as the politics created and destroyed allegiances between parties.

It didn't help that the monk order that had been a guide to all leaders in the past had suddenly vanished into isolation. After they changed their methods overnight, the discovery of the Dream State altered everything.

Athan attempted his morning routine exorcise but struggled to calm his spirit, his center. Normally he didn't have a problem focusing, but today his mind was wondering all over. These dreams, these memories were troubling him; he had a bad feeling, about his mentor, about everything really.

Elpis didn't appear this morning as he had the past few days. Athan enjoyed the young man's company; his eagerness to learn reminded Athan of himself those many years ago.

The monk ducked into a roll, coming up on his feet to a forward flip only to bounce off the wall into a backflip to land facing the wall. He abruptly stopped the rest of his routine forgotten.

His mind wondered to the hunt, the searching of many leads. Four days had past; the two monks had crossed off all leads to the cultists but one. The very last lead was a far shot.

Yshomatsu had gone over the myths and jotted down a location he believed was described in the story. A cave in the far east mountains, they had investigated leads in order of likelihood and location. Mainly location to save time, the cave was a good six days journey from the underground training grounds Yshomatsu lived in. However now they were only two days away.

Athan Remembered hoping the lead was another dead end and that the cultists were just a rumor they would prove false.

He decided to sit down and crossed his legs, placing his hands upon his knees palms facing towards the ceiling. Athan closed his eyes and took deep breaths, releasing them slowly in attempt to calm his nerves. Eventually he slowed his heart rate enough to enter a mediation trance. He allowed the memory that has been haunting him to continue. Even if he was disturbed it would take a while to return his mind to his body.

The monks traveled east, the mountains in the distance grew with each step they took. The giant mountains were beautiful, untouched lands with bright colors as nature thrived here. Snow covered the peaks high above anything man had created. So high in fact clouds often blocked the view of their peaks and created a scene that looked heavenly. The land was equally dangerous as they were beautiful, which was the main reason no one traveled far into them. Mountains rose in the east as far as the eye could see, anyone that attempted to explore further east was never heard from again.

The same thing could be said from every direction out of the known world, each for different reasons. These mountains in the east were so wild the creatures here grew in both size and appetite; humans were far from the top of the food chain. It would take an army to safely travel and yet no path large enough for an army. The costs simply outweighed the desire to explore new lands.

The deserts to the west was simply a no man's land, expanding for who knew how far. Hardly any life to sustain a traveler, no water or rain to quench ones thirsts. It was the main reason Yshomatsu placed his training center within the desert, no unwanted company. The shack leading to his underground base was more to avoid the desert conditions than anything else; it was just saver to be underneath the harsh winds and sand.

The frozen lands to the north were opposite of the desert but in concept exactly the same, barren waste lands with little to no life.

To the south tropic jungles, the Horadric Legion calls home within its wild atmosphere. Further south are vast oceans and scattered islands. Many people live along the coast and a few of the islands, a place where pirates and little law exist. Many have tried to chart the vast waters and have yet there never has been an end discovered. The oceans seem to go on forever.

Between everything were forests, grass lands, hills, valleys and rivers/lakes. The Arcadians called these lands home before King Anders fell. One of Anders closest friends would later rise to rule the Horadric Legion, his goal to unite the known world in honor of Ander's memory. He had a lot of work to do, with many factions rising, all with desire for power.

But that is a story for a later time.

Athan's mind never wondered back then, always remained focused on the task at hand. Yshomatsu discussed the stories he read and how according to the books there were as many different demons as there were gods, maybe even more. His mentor had quite the impressive library, perhaps even greater than at the grand monastery. Yshomatsu was a collector of knowledge and always in search for more. He had so many books in fact he often forgot what he had, ever with the clever card catalog he developed.

Yshomatsu talked about how amazed he was when he discovered the demonic books he had in his possession. Even now after reading the passages he believed them to be nothing more than stories. Stories told to scare children or keep people from committing evil acts.

They made their way into the desolate mountains, praying to the gods not to get lose, but most of all they prayed not to find anything. Over the next few days their prayers went unanswered as they found a freshly cut path leading further up. For a land seldom traveled there shouldn't have been a path like this. There were no signs of wild life, not even a single bird singing in the nearby trees.

The two quickened their pace, moving as if one being, marching to an unheard drum. Their movements gave a new meaning to the old saying, silent but deadly. With each stop the monks speed increased as if they were floating among the clouds. Then faster than any normal person could see Yshomatsu gave a hand signal and the two vanished behind some shrubbery.

Ahead two strange looking pale men in black robes scurried about before entering a dark cave like two blind men with no need of light to guide them.

Yshomatsu spared a glance to his student, "Looks like we found them."

"They could be faking it," Athan squeaked back as a hopeful joke, they both smirked and inched closer to the cave, "Now or never," Yshomatsu nodded his agreement and they snuck as quietly as two mice in a field into the dark.

The cave tunnel snaked around like a giant serpent; the monks had to feel their way forward to the best of their abilities, hoping not to alert the cultists. Before long they could see flickers of light at the end of the tunnel, and if they were lucky it would just be a couple of hermits. Neither one wanted to see what they feared was around the bend.

Yshomatsu braced himself against the cavern wall and inched closer to the edge, while Athan did the same on the other side of the light source. Athan's mentor peaked around and gave a wave. Athan like the wind gracefully glided into the opposite shadow back in cover.

When they both gave a detailed peak around their respective corners their eyes went wide in shock. Candles were everywhere scattered around a central bonfire that wasn't lit. On the ground there was a white drawling of some short of pentagram design, and around that, nine pale men in black robes; all on their knees chanting in some foreign language. The worst part of it all was that on top of all that--- latterly hanging from chains attached to the cavern ceiling--- was a woman, naked as the day she was born. Her long brown hair hung down covering her face and chest.

The monks stared at her in awe, like they'd never seen a naked woman before, Athan's jaw hung open, any lower and it would hit the ground. Yshomatsu recognized the scene from one of the demonic books he did research in. The cultists had everything setup for a summoning of some kind, perhaps a deal with a demon. He didn't recognize the pentagram so it couldn't be some plain summoning. With the hung woman, he suspected it was an offering, a sacrifice, maybe for power or some other demonic gift. He honestly didn't believe the sight before his eyes, he as well as his student Athan hoped they wouldn't find out.

Believe in it or not, it didn't matter the monks couldn't sit by idly and let these pale men harm the chained woman. It was time to act.

*****

Back at the monastery Athanatos finished with his morning practice routine, as another monk entered the room and bowed.

"He wishes to speak with you sir."

"Alright I'll be right there," Athan quickly went to his room to change. Once he was done he headed to see the Elder. Athan walked down an old hallway, cobwebs littered the ceiling, until he reached a large door. He knocked twice and waited.

Normally Athan would have crossed his arms into each other's sleeves and patiently waited, but today the air was thick and everyone was on edge. There still was no word from many of the Order and Athan assumed he was summoned to discuss the findings of his mentor's mission, which was to look into the missing monks while Athan had been ordered to resort to the books here in the library.

Athan paced back and forth, his relaxed mind-set from his morning exorcise quickly vanished. His mind now wandered, he couldn't stop the feeling like something horrible had happened. A few minutes went by before the door finally squeaked open and Athan entered, brushing past the monk that opened it.

On the other end of the room the Elder Zoticus stood, he too was pacing back and forth with a worried expression upon his face. Something was definitely not right.

"Have you heard from Yshomatsu, Elder," Athan asked.

"No, that is the cause of my discomfort, not only have we lost contact with your past mentor but normal villagers are now going missing. I don't understand what is going on. Have you found any answers in the library?"

"I have not. I'm afraid there's no record of anything of this magnitude ever happening in the Order before. The nights are getting longer and the air is thick with something I can't explain. Whatever is happening it can't be good," Athan replied.