Episode Twenty-Two: Sweeping Up the Ashes

When her tears run dry, Castor stands slowly. She goes to an unlit torch on the wall, smudges her finger in the soot, and returns sitting above his head. Then using her thumb, she draws a cross on his forehead. With her other hand she closes his eyes. She crosses herself, bends so their foreheads touch and says, "go with God, my old friend." She lowers herself further, whispering in his ear so that only he might hear.

She rises and addresses her friends, “We should bury him. He deserves kindness. I’m sure he was hardly afforded any after we...” She looks down at the floor.

She rushes to hug her two friends, one at a time. It's gentle, as if in squeezing they might break or disappear. "I thought I'd never see you again. That gate to another realm, I… Thank you."

Ivetta reciprocates the hug, "we weren't going to leave you. They were not going to let you live."

Father Tobias adds, "Such evil could not stand. We still have work to do, Castor. But for now I recommend you head to the papal camp and rest. We can talk about your ordeal once the monastery is searched and cleansed of corruption."

"I won't leave you. And I need to find my cross, my boots."

Soldiers have entered the cathedral. Many are dazed, sitting on pews resting while others are healing wounded. Father Tobias directs those able to sweep rooms farther back and touch no bodies of enemies in this room. They do as he bids.

The trio search around themselves. They enter one of two wooden doors behind the altar. They go through the left-most door and find a spiral staircase going down. At the bottom, there are huge bookshelves lining a room. The room itself stretches 200 feet in length and spreads 30 ft wide. Bookshelves along the walls touch the ceiling but the ones in rows are shorter. There are tables scattered about but no chairs. The entire room is dimly lit with a small window.

Castor searches for magical books. Tobias finds a book on a shelf in a glass case. The black tome has an MVM symbol on it. Ivetta finds a metal door, an illusion makes it look like rubies rim the edges but her eyes lie. When she looks directly at this phenomenon the rubies still but while looking out her periphery it looks as though they move. Tobias breaks the glass with the tip of his sword. The shatter brings Castor running. "Father? Are you alright?"

He sheaths his sword,"Sorry to startle you, I just have little patience for magic at the moment." He bends to pick up the book, dusts off the cover. Suddenly, it glows, orange sparks fly and he drops it. He sighs, "Castor can you touch it? Maybe it only responds to those who wield miracles."

"I can try." She does so but the effect is the same. Ivetta touches it and it burns her as well.

Tobias flicks open the cover with his sword. The words are legible, readable, but each cannot understand what it is they are reading. "Tricks abound in this place." Tobis grumbles.

Castor says, "Maybe it needs some kind of key? Can we wrap it, bring it with us? I have nothing, save my nightgown." Ivetta pats her full plate armor and comes up with nothing. They resolve to get a soldier to bring some canvas and wrap it later.

They approach the door Ivetta was inspecting. Seeing the magic surrounding it Tobias asks, "Castor do you have any way of purging or cleansing this corruption?"

Castor looks at him flatly, deep bags hanging under her eyes, wearing a tattered, bloodied, dirty nightgown. “No.” she lets out a long sigh, her shoulders sagging. “I’m exhausted. I have no more magic. I just woke up from being knocked out for the-" she counts briefly on her fingers, "-fifth time in two days. I cannot help. Maybe when my friend wakes up or we could maybe come back but as of this moment, I am of no use.”

Tobias sighs and touches the magic with his sword; it taps like glass. He pulls the handle. Inside is a small room. Unlit candles hang in brackets on the walls, more bookshelves, and a cluttered desk. Castor grabs a torch from the wall and walks into the room. She feels the odd feeling of walking through a spiderweb as she crosses the threshold and the candle light.

She immediately backs out. Ivetta asks "what's wrong?"

Fearful, she explains, "It feels like when I walked into that alley where I got mugged. It's some magic but I don't know what it does." Ivetta tries and feels it too, she exits swiftly as well. Tobias goes in also feeling the same sensation but he brushes past it. He tests handing an unimportant paper from the desk to Ivetta. It passes through without bursting into flame. He continues on and searches the desk. Ivetta re-enters. Castor watches the two warily from outside.

Upon the old desk, a ton of papers sit. He sifts through a few. He finds a Bible with several passages with notes nearby, requisition orders, references to different monaste. Whoever wrote this was not very good at writing. It is quite un-neat, more like chicken scratch and scribbles. Ivetta searches another table filled with maps, documents, and scrolls. She finds a golden circle on a chain smooth with a small mushroom shaped protrusion on the top. It tingles when she touches it. Pressing down on it the lid opens revealing a pale face with several tiny lines all over it.

"Hey Tobias," Ivetta prompts, "do you know what this is?"

Forgetting his friends' origins, he says simply, "It's a pocket watch."

"A what?"

"Forgive me. It is an instrument for telling time. In the army we used it to tell us when to move, when artillery barrages commenced, that sort of thing. Used to mark time. Perhaps your abilities are connected. Perhaps they used this like you do with your waypoints."

The buzzing, Ivetta feels, is more powerful than other waypoints and it makes her not want to hold it for long. She hands it to Tobias, "can you feel it buzzing?"

He takes it and shakes his head, "It doesn't buzz for me. Why don't you let me hold on to it?" Ivetta agrees. He hangs the chain around his neck and then gathers some documents to study further later in the canvas sack. As he's stuffing them in, one drops to the floor. It rolls, revealing a red seal emblazoned with MVM.

Curious, he breaks the seal and reads its contents:

"The pope has broken free. We must prepare.

Maneul Fabri. Head of the Mora vos Malus."

Castor and Ivetta are taken aback.

Castor cries, "Marco's brother is the head of the order?? But they-they tortured his brother without mercy!"

Ivetta realizes, "Maybe he was there when they did." A chill settles in their spines.

Trying to distract herself, Ivetta riffles through the desk and finds a secret compartment. Inside is a ruby red case. She opens it and finds a metallic mask. This one is much smaller than the others,almost like a child’s. It gleams silver and shines as if brand new.

“For a young Marco maybe?” Castor wonders aloud.

Father Tobias suggests, “We should destroy it. Somewhere it won't bring anyone to harm.” they agree. Deciding that they have found everything of import here they return upstairs and go through the other wooden door near the altar.

Castor recognizes it as the cells where she and the other chati were held. But it's odd, the room seems to have shifted; she doesn’t remember being pulled up the stairs from behind the altar. At first she backs up, not wanting to go back down there but she sees her things on a table across the room. She retrieves them quickly and scurries back to the stairs. Yet as she passes one of the cells she hears a low growl, as if a dog were in the cage. Castor pauses, hoping that it isn’t another person. “Hello?” she calls out. There is no response. She retrieves a torch from the wall and tries to see inside the cell. There is nothing there. She tries to open it and finds the door locked. Hoping to see something, she tosses the torch inside. It illuminates an empty cell before petering out. “Did you both hear that growl?” Castor asks thinking she’s gone a bit loopy. They both say they have. “But there’s nothing that I can see.”

Tobias says, “If there’s an animal down here we’ll tell the men to be careful.”

As they retreat, Ivetta brings up the rear. As she reaches the top, she hears a growling growing closer as if an animal were running up the stairs after them. The door snaps shut.

They return to the main room and prepare to depart. Tobias orders men to bring a canvas sheet so that they may transport Marco’s body. Yet his body is rapidly decomposing, blackened skin and stinking of rotted corpses. Toabis takes the single magical hammer and chain from him, breaking off his frail hand in the process. They put what's left of him on a canvas and bring it with them. He further disintegrates before their eyes leaving only ashes. Castor sweeps them up.

They go through the main doors through which Tobias and Ivetta burst. They all feel the urge to close their eyes, but they all resist. At first they’re all looking at the black room and then it's just gone. They’re suddenly outside. Ivetta grabs her head like it's spinning. All three are very jarred at the sudden displacement. Men out here have made a perimeter. No more sounds of battle echo in the night and the storm is gone leaving a cool, cloudless night.

Father Tobias exclaims his agitation, “Bloody magic. I hate magic!”

Both the three and the troops head back to the camp. Some prisoners are bound together by a stake in the ground. The papal army doesn't really know what to do with them. Off in the distance the evidence that there was a battle. Men pick through the plains looting bodies. All about the camp stand tents for the men and the wounded. The papal tent is far more decadent.

Castor asks where they put her friend. She finds her alone in a tent as there are no other wounded women.

Ivetta looks at the woman, “Do we even know her name?”

“I don't,” Castor says.

“You don't?”

“I asked but she wouldn't tell me. She told me many other things though.”

“Is she a chati?” Castor’s face turns surprised.

“How did you know?”

“She has magical abilities.”

“She used them? But she said she’s under a hex.”

“Hex?”

“Yes, that sorceress woman put her under a spell so she couldn't use magic. That's how they got her. They- planned this. They knew that having the two of us together would make us powerless.”

“What do you mean?”

“James told us chatis’ powers were diminished when together but he didn't mention that it was aschar that we couldn't go into. The mora vos malus planned this but I don't know what they actually want. I don't know where they were planning on taking us. But I see that even if one of us could have used aschar I don't think we could have gotten out of there.” she gestures to the mountainous roost of the monastery. “That place is massive! There’s no way we could have escaped. Even if one of us killed the other.”

“Wait what? Killed one another?”

“They left us together and unrestrained. Each of us could have easily killed the other so we could use aschar but maybe they knew I wouldn't? Or that I have no control. But it still begs the question. Why? What do they want?”

Tobias cuts in, “It's clear that they're willing to use what they know of magic to cause suffering of the people around them. We should work on rooting them out; perhaps they have other bases. We have their maps. We can see where they might be sending supplies.”

“Do you really think they’re still in this realm?”

“It is possible.”

“She also told me that the kaldien are actually evil. They hunt chati down and kill them. They tried to kill her too.”

Ivetta looks concerned, “But James was good.”

“She said there are some good ones but that’s the true purpose of their order.”

“Then that man we captured, he could be a kaldien.”

“Man?”

“Ah, we caught a man sneaking into the Vatican. We tortured him for information. We thought he might know where you were-”

“You what?!”

“Don't worry I saved his life, he’s not in danger anymore.”

“No! No more torture! Our best friend was turned into a monster because of it! When we get back put him in prison or something but no more torture, please!”

A silence follows her outburst. She takes a deep breath before continuing, “On the more positive side, my friend showed me how to try to control my aschar.”

“That's great! So can you do it?”

Tobias interjects, “Obviously aschar is something that is of miraculous nature?”

Sheepish Castor says, “Do you remember that pillar of light you saw?”

He cuts her off, “I think I'd rather skip that explanation.”

Ivetta butts back, “I’d like to know.”

Eager to share, Castor says, “She taught me that I have to meditate very deeply, gain access to past lives and accomplish something in the vision. I tried it with her help. I was a woman named Celopatra? There was- my brother was a pretender to the throne but I could get it back if I talked to this man, Caesar. I led an army but I had no idea what I was doing so I failed.”

Ever the realist, Tobias says, “This must have been some kind of vision, perhaps of something you read. You could not have been her or any other person for that matter. Chrisitan souls go to heaven after death.”

Castor balks, “From what I know, Chati are linked. They are one in the same although spread across time. We share a soul? Gahh, I’m not sure I’m explaining this right.”

“This is why I didn't want to know about the magic part,” Tobias huffs.

Castor's temper flares, indignant, she meets his eyes and spits, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience Father, but this is part of who I am. I’m finally starting to accept that.”

Silence falls.

Ivetta cuts the tension growing between them, “Alright! We’re all just tired. We should rest.”

Tobias nods but says, “First I must speak with his holiness. I should know the casualties of the battle.” Ivetta follows him bidding Castor goodnight.

Castor turns on her heel and enters the tent still fuming. She settles on one of the cots next to the other chati. Too exhausted to remain upset, she falls asleep without much preamble.

She wakes in the darkness. The bed next to her is empty. She bolts upright to search for the other chati but finds her sitting at the foot of her own bed.

The woman whispers so as to not awaken her friends sleeping nearby, “I thought I'd do you the courtesy of saying goodbye.”

“You're leaving?”

“I don't stay in one place long.”

“But- I have so many questions.”

“I don't know why you think I have answers.”

“They're mostly about you and chati. I've never had the chance to talk to another at any length before.” She gives a sad smile. “But what about the hex? You can’t use magic.”

Waving her hand she says, “It waxes and wanes. I’ll break it eventually.” She changes the subject, “You know that each chati has a mission. Each is different. I have my own. Do you know yours?”

“I think I do but I don’t know if what I’m doing is furthering it.”

“You have a long road ahead, Castor.”

“What is your mission if I may ask?”

“I’m meant to find someone who helped me a long time ago.”

“Your master?”

She looks down and away,“You could say that.”

“What happened to him?”

“That’s privileged information. But we parted ways and I regret it.”

“Do you travel with anyone else?”

“I don't need anyone.”

“I know it seems easier maybe, but if my friends hadn't come we would still be captive and in an entirely different realm.”

She thinks for a moment then says, “I already lost someone I care about and I’ll not let it happen again.” She stands to leave. “Goodbye Castor, and good luck.”

A sad look softens Castor’s brow, “But- oh. I wish we had met under different circumstances, but I’m glad we did meet. I hope you find him.”

“Thank you.” She exits the tent.

The thought strikes Castor after she leaves that she should have asked if she needed a waypoint. Curious to see how she is to exit the realm, she leaves the tent as well. The cool night breeze billows her tattered dress but she sees only the few other tents, several low-burning fires, and some guards. There is no trace of the woman. Castor hangs her head sighing and retreats back into the tent. She tries to go back to sleep but it is fitful and restless. She tosses and turns. Waking early, she leaves the tent to relieve herself.

Outside, sitting cross legged is the chati woman. Surprised, Castor starles, jumping backward a bit. Her eyes are closed and looks deep in meditation but she smiles and speaks to Castor.

“If I'm going to train you, I'll need you to do the things I ask, whenever I ask them of you.”

Still astonished, Castor stutters out, “Of course I- anything.”

The chati gets up and tosses her an apple. “Good. We start when we get back to the Vatican.”

Father Tobais and Ivetta wake naturally to the sounds of nature and military campsite. Castor reenters the tent.

Tobias asks her, “Are you improved?”

She smiles, holding an apple. “I'm better. Voluntary sleep, that’s what I needed.” Her smile widens, “What did the pope have to say?” She seems far more relaxed than either have ever seen her. The tension her face usually carries is gone, replaced by an easy expression.

“We simply spoke of the results of the battle. It was heavily in our favor. We destroyed an army twice our size, which should hopefully lead to further papal domination of the Italian nation.” He trails off as if realizing while he speaks, “I don't actually know what the borders are…”

“Well at least I don't have to feel crushing guilt if only a few men died saving me.” her teeth snap off a bit of apple.

Ivetta is slightly wary, eyeing Castor with an odd look she says, “Are you alright? I've never seen you this... happy?”

“I’ll try to be less chipper.”

Trying to save face, Ivetta fumbles, “No, no that's not what-”

Castor chuckles at the role reversal, “I’m…” she trails off then says, “I’m okay. I suppose everything hasn’t really sunk in. Or perhaps it has and I'm grieving. But for now, I’m alright. I guess I'm pleased. I’m alive. I’m free. And my friend has agreed to train me for a time.”

They head back to the Vatican. It is decided that there will be a celebratory feast in five days. In that time, Castor recovers both her health and mana. Each day she has been meditating with the other chati who tells her to call her master. They take walks in the sprawling papal gardens each day. Her master tells her to focus on everything around her but also to notice the inanimate objects, the earth, the clouds, the air. Castor doesn't really get it but she's trying. She's no longer hesitant in any respect, throwing herself into learning all she can.

Castor continuously visits Gerrard in the hopes that his nurse will allow her to see him. Eventually, she is allowed in and speaks with him. Afterward she is seen fleeing the room, face red and wet. She shuts herself in her room and is not seen until the following day. *****Castor's Private Conversations

The Emperor himself will be attending the feast as well as the Doge of Venice. They brought the king of Milan back but he's been denying that he's done anything. He doesn’t remember telling his troops to attack the papal army outside that monastery. Ivetta suspects magic’s involvement.

A knock interrupts Castor and Ivetta who are talking in Ivetta's room. A guard informs them that Hollinzoller is awake.

Castor turns to Ivetta, "I think we should tell him or warn him somehow of what's going to happen. Maybe give him the necklace waypoint that he can activate when the time is right?"

"That's a good idea." Castor sees that Ivetta is nervous.

"Maybe he can escape with your mother too later on?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm just...I'm not sure he'll believe me. But I'm excited to see him. To have him in my life again."

Castor gives her a sad smile, "You're lucky…"

"Oh Castor,” Ivetta leans and hugs her, “you know you always have us."

She hesitates a moment, "I know." She returns the hug and sniffs. She pulls away, "now, go see your dad." She smiles, waving her off.

Ivetta stands and walks out the door. Walking down the corridor she realizes how much her heart is pounding. Her hands are clammy and her knees shake but she's happy, excited. A smile graces her face. She reaches for the handle, shaking.

Opening the door she finds a guard trying to keep Hollinzoller in the bed. He's fighting to rise shouting at him, "We need to- let me up!"

“Sir, please! You’ve been asleep for six days! You need to rest!” He continues trying to get up despite the pleas.

He spots Ivetta and barks again at the man, "Leave us, she'll help me." The other man leaves. Hollinzoller is able to sit up and does so. He turns to Ivetta, his face set, “where’s Castor? Is she still in danger?”

The smile melts from her face, several expressions appear in quick succession: anger, fear, pain then it is replaced with neutral as her mind clicks back to stark reality. Coldly, she replies, "she's fine."

He attempts to stand up. His chest is bare revealing his well built frame but he falls to the ground immediately. His back displays spindly purple scars marring his skin. Ivetta rushes to help him up. Seeing the scars she asks, "what happened to your back?"

He seems to remember himself and tries to cover his face with his hands, "Where's my cloak?" She sets him back on the bed and retrieves it. He throws it over himself, shielding his face once more.

He asks again, "Where's Castor, is she safe? Out of danger?"

"She's alright."

He sighs, "Good. When we’re done, bring her to me, there is much we should discuss." He pauses a moment, then questions, "What happened after?"

Ivetta thinks back to when he was last with them and clarifies, "After the paradox explosion?"

He nods.

"Kind of a lot. We saw the pope. He was being held captive by Mora vos Malus and we broke him out of there. He ousted them from the Vatican. But then Castor was lured and captured by the few Mora vos Malus that were still there." Hollinzoller gasps slightly at this news. "And they turned Marco… Our friend... They- they made him a monster. Turned him into this masked man who's been hunting us."

"Marco? You mean Barko? An unfortunate casualty."

Ivetta contines, "we fought them in this monastery."

"It seems you made it back. You must have won."

"Yes. We found her before they took her through a portal."

He lets out a long sigh, "As long as Castor is safe, our mission is successful."

She swallows the lump in her throat, "Right."

An awkward silence follows.

Hollinzoller breaks it saying, "Is there something else that you needed?"

"I...I need to go." She jolts up, crossing the room in seconds and closing the door behind her.

Ivetta holds back tears as she leaves the room.

Castor sees Ivetta from where she walks in gardens, hurrying to her room, on the verge of tears. She excuses herself from her master who agrees to meet her later and goes to Hollinzoller's room.

She knocks forcefully. His gruff reply of "Who is it?" answers.

"It's me. It's Castor."

"Come in."

She yanks the door open and marches in, not bothering to close it behind her. They both speak at the same time so neither understands what the other said. Castor repeats herself first, "what did you say to her?!"

Completely nonplussed, he asks, "What-? Who?"

"Ivetta!"

"I-what? Nothing! She told me things, everything that happened."

Incredulous, Castor says, "everything?"

"Yes! She told me what happened to you. That you all rescued the pope. That you were captured.  And that you fought the masked man, Barko or whatever his name is!"

The anger drops from Castor's tone, "Oh. That's it? I thought-” She sighs, shaking her head, “she did not tell you everything."

"What? What do you mean? What else? What's wrong?"

"I-that's not- it's not like that, it's something different."

"What is it?"

"After the explosion, when you saved us? You used a lot of magic and, well, your hood came down. We saw your face."

"An unfortunate consequence."

"But, ah, Ivetta recognized you. From her future-I mean your future, her past."

His expression turns dark, "who is she? How does she know me?!" He stands again and looks as if he tries to do magic but it fails sending him to sit on the bed once more.

"She's not a threat! It-you need to talk to her!"

Hearing all the shouting from down the hall, Ivetta tentatively makes her way back to Hollinzoller’s room. She knocks on the doorframe. Castor turns to see her, "Ivetta! Can you-"

Hollinzoller interrupts her, "Castor, get behind me."

"Hollinzoller, wait. She's not a threat! This is different."

Ivetta enters the room. “I can explain-”

Hollinzoller stands once more. This time he’s able to stay up. His voice edged with threat, “Who are you? How do you know me? How do I know you are not a threat to me, to Castor?”

Castor says, “It's simple but...not? Ivetta…?”

“You all speak in riddles! Just tell me how you know me!”

Ivetta says, “I would never hurt her or you. Please, let me explain.”

“You have my attention.”

She begins, “Do you know why everything exploded?”

“I have guesses.”

“It was because two things from separate times touched.”

“It could be something such as that.”

“I know for sure what caused that explosion. Do you remember how when we first met you thought I stole your journal?”

“I recall.”

“You said it was exactly like your journal and I must have stolen it.”

“The journals are the same, I take it.”

“Exactly the same. It is your journal.”

“You know me in my future then.”

“I knew you.”

“Alright, tell me something about myself then. Something that will convince me that you're not a threat.”

“You asked me who my parents were. My father is Cosimo Amoroso.”

“That name has no meaning to me.”

“It did before. When I told you, you recognized it. I saw it in your eyes.”

Hollinzoller acquiesces, “I knew someone with that name, long ago. I know the journals are the same. I don't suppose you pose much of a thre-”

Tired of dancing around and trying to make him guess, Ivetta bursts out, “You’re my father!”

Silence blankets the room. A breeze blows the curtains making them billow inward. Birds sing and chirp in the garden, uncaring of the tension inside.

“Oh.” Hollinzoller speaks as he lets out a breath. They stand again in shocked silence until he speaks, “I- Castor, is this true?” he looks to her. She nods mutely.

He sits back on the bed and puts his face in his hands. Ivetta shakes, a thousand emotions whirling through her.

“I always knew the nature of time in the caelium but I never thought it would catch up to me.” He pulls his hood from his head revealing his face once more. He then puts his hands together and puts his pointer fingers to his forehead. He sits there a time, until he brings the fingers to his lip. He looks at Ivetta then points the two fingers at her. “So you are my daughter?”

“Yes. Or I will be. I am. I don’t know, but you are my father to me.”

“I have never knowingly… if this is true, I wish not to know anymore about it. A man’s future is his own, not for someone to tell him.” Ivetta and Castor nod. “I- request some time alone. From everyone.”

Castor moves toward the door, “I understand. Ah, thank you for saving my life in the alley.” They turn to leave but are stopped by hurried footsteps in the hall.

Castor's master appears. “Castor? Are you alright? I heard you yelling.”

She fumbles with her words, “It's ah- definitely a thing but I think…it's...handled?”

She looks slightly confused but says, “Come with me then we-” she stops speaking, staring into the room, past both Ivetta and Castor. Her eyes locked on Hollinzoller. He sees her and jolts up. She gasps running into the room and up to him. She flings her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug. Her expression is distraught, clearly she’s barely holding back tears.

“Elizabeth?! Elizabeth, settle down!” Hollinzoller reciprocates the warmth of the embrace until she pulls back. She then takes his face in her hands and gives him a big ol’ kiss. He reciprocates this as well before breaking apart asking, “How did you get here? Find me? What are you doing here?”

“I was an idiot. I got captured by these cultists. They brought me here.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I've been looking for you since we parted.”

“Why? It’s too dangerous!”

“We're better together.”

Castor scrapes her jaw off the floor before breaking into their conversation, “Wait, he’s your master?? The one you've been searching for?”

“Yes.”

“But-”

“I will explain later. I think we’d like some time first.”

Mind spinning she says, “I think we need some time too. We all do.”

TBC

Episode Twenty-Three: Conundrums Clarified, Secrets Cemented