The Violet Robe

Chapter four of my in-progress book

Bruin stared at the vast horde of enemies before them, an endless expanse of tents and fires that lit up the sky creating the illusion that it was still day, even though the night had already made its slow creep across the sky. “How are we going to get through them? They must have every last cultist in that camp, but why? Why are they here? They must be doing something big, and we have to find out!”

“I agree,” Genevieve somberly added, “But what can we hope to do against a force that size? We can’t even go in there without being spotted.”

“Maybe we can…” Madylen’s eyes lit up as she explained, “We can use their numbers to our advantage.”

Bruin’s eyebrows raised in curiosity, “What do you mean?”

“think about it, we don’t have to be completely unseen passing through, we just have to be unnoticed. There are far too many of them for anyone to know them all if we pretend to be cultists then we can gather information unnoticed and leave unhindered.” Madylen looked up eager for some approval of her plans.

“That’s brilliant, but how would we possibly disguise ourselves, we don’t really have the proper materials on hand.”

“I think this is my area of expertise,” Genevieve chimed in, ” I can make us appear as cultists, but it is going to take all my concentration.”

“Not a chance, I’m not bringing you two in there with me, if anything went wrong there’d be no way you’d make it out!” Bruin protested.

“What choice do you have? Would you rather leave us out here to fight any roaming cultists on our own?” Genevieve exclaimed. “whether you like it or not, this is our best chance.”

“Fine, but let me do all the talking if any should occur.” Bruin begrudgingly agreed. “We better hurry and get into their camp, before it gets light out and they spot us”

They made it into the great expanse of tents just as the sun began to rise, cultists began popping out of their tents to start their daily rituals. “Keep your heads down and stay close,” Bruin told his companions, “Maybe we can learn something about them if we follow them.” As the spaces between the tents became clogged with a flood of cultists a gong rang out loud, and suddenly the cultists began to surge forward in unison towards the center of the camp.  The group was pulled forward in the riptide of bodies, until they stopped abruptly, looking up they saw a table draped with white cloth on top of a hill at the center of the gathering. A man robed in violet instead of the usual crimson emerged beside the table and began to address the throng of cultists.

“Another beautiful day has been bestowed upon us by our lord Azmatan! But as we all know, Azmatan is a greedy god, and in return for power he demands tribute! Who among you believes themselves worthy as a tribute for our almighty lord!” The figure shouted at the masses as he gestured with his arms open wide.

“We are Worthy!” The thunderous roar of thousands of cultists answered in unison.

“What do they mean tribute?” Madylen asked of Bruin quietly. Bruin looked back at her, shushing her, before attempting to move the group away from the scene, knowing all too well what they meant by tribute.

“Excellent! Unfortunately, Azmatan only demands five for today, so not all of you will experience the glory of ascension!” Disappointment swept over the crowd, as the man in violet pointed into the crowd, “You five shall be the tribute, come forward and begin your ascension!” As the five cultists approached the stage, Bruin began to move more rapidly, pushing through spectators as he tried to spare Madylen and Genevieve from the atrocity about to happen.

A cultist stepped in front of them, blocking their escape. “Where are you going my friend, you don’t want to miss the ceremony.” He placed one hand on Bruin’s shoulder and the other on Madylen’s as he turned them around to face the stage. “We are truly blessed by Azmatan to be able to witness such beauty.”

As the first tribute reached the stage Bruin looked over at Madylen and Genevieve, finding them staring at the stage, there was nothing more that Bruin could do to protect their eyes. The first tribute bent over the table exposing his back to the sky. Lifting a curved knife into the air above the man’s exposed back, the man in violet shouted, “Azmatan accept our tribute, and accept this man into your world!” The knife came down swiftly, slicing into the cultist, dragging the knife down a gaping wound was opened on the cultists back. Removing the knife the man in Violet put his hands into the wound and grabbing onto the ribcage of the still living cultists, he pulled up suddenly, with an audible crack the bones were snapped off one by one before being thrown into a burning braiser. Genevieve winced and shut her eyes trying to block out the horrifying scene before her, Madylen stood with a stony face, only allowing her eyes to reveal the true horror that she felt underneath. As the last rib was removed the man in violet grabbed onto the still-beating heart of his victim and crushed it in his hands. The man who served as tribute fell limp onto the table. Four more times this ritual was done, all to cheers and shouts of approval from the crowd of cultists, four more times Genevieve and Madylen saw the atrocity, by the time it was over the once white tablecloth was now dripping with crimson. Bruin looked over at his companions and saw how broken they were, not from their expressions, but from their horror filled eyes, his shoulders slumped, “I’m sorry, I tried to get you out.” Ushering them forward, Bruin led them away from the scene and to an empty tent. “Are you okay?”

Standing quietly Madylen was the first to answer, “I’ll be okay, I just don’t understand how anyone could cheer something like that on.”

“It’s because they truly believe their friends and comrades were ascending by being sacrificed.” Genevieve reasoned, “Regardless, let us just find out why they’re here so we can get out of here.”

“I agree, that’s why I brought you both into this tent, eventually the owner will show up, and we’ll ask them why they’re here, then we can book it out of here. In the meantime why don’t the both of you relax and rest.” Bruin motioned them towards the cots on the side of the tent. Gratefully Madylen and Genevieve approached the cots, laid down, and closed their eyes, before nodding off. Bruin sat awake, ever watchful waiting for the tent’s rightful owner to come back so he could be done with this place.

His opportunity came a few hours later when the flaps of the tent flew open and a lone man entered. The man saw Bruin and did a double take, “Who are yo-” his voice was cut off as Bruin crossed the room and placed his hand over the hooded figure’s mouth.

“Now listen very closely, you’re going to tell me why all these cultists are here.” Bruin dragged the man to the center of the tent, and tied him to the tent’s support pole and gagged him. “Genevieve, wake up.”

“What?” the tiny girl rubbed her eyes as she sat up on the cot.

“Can you seal this place off so sound can’t escape?” Bruin asked as he nervously eyed the flaps of the tent. “I don’t want anyone to hear what is about to happen, or for anyone to interrupt us.”

It was at this moment that Genvieve finally noticed the bound and gagged man in the center of the room, nodding she began to cast her spell, “Blocken Harminal,”  a sudden silence fell over the tent as the noise from outside disappeared. “That should do it, but still hurry, I can’t keep this spell up forever.”

“Of course,” Bruin turned back to the squirming man and removed his gag, “Now then, tell me why you’re here.”

“You won’t get a single word out of me!” The cultists shouted in defiance.

Sitting down next to the cultist Bruin exhaled slowly, “Now that’s where you’re wrong, you will talk. That’s just a matter of whether we get you to talk the easy way or the hard way.” Bruin slowly drew a sharp, curved dagger out of its sheath, giving the bound man a good long look at the blade as he did so.

The man began to sweat, “Why would I tell you anything? If I do, you’ll kill me anyway.” Bruin softly dragged the blade along the man’s leg, opening a long gash that began to bleed red.

“That may be true, but you’d be wrong in thinking that there isn’t a difference. One death will be a quick merciful one, the other will be long drawn out, and very, very painful. ” Bruin stood up over the man, and looked down at him menacingly, “So which is it going to be?”

The cultist’s eyes darted back and forth as the severity of the situation set in, “Okay, okay, I’ll talk.”

“Why are you here?”

“I don’t know!”

“Don’t lie to me!” Bruin placed the tip of his dagger on the cultist’s thigh, pressing it down into his leg. The cultist’s screams of pain woke Madylen from her slumber, as she looked over in horror at Bruin’s interrogation.

“What are you doing?” She ran over to Bruin, grabbing the dagger from his hands, in the process pulling it from the cultist’s leg.

“Getting information from this monster,” Bruin replied as he turned to face Madylen.

“By torture? You can’t just torture him, he’s completely helpless!” She protested, as her face turned green with disgust at the actions of Bruin.

“It’s the only way Madylen,” Genevieve suddenly piped in, ” he may eventually tell us what we need to know, but we don’t have that type of time, so he needs the motivation.”

“But….”

Bruin looked at the distraught girl, understanding her feelings all too well, “Madylen, it’s all right, you don’t have to agree or participate in this, but it needs to be done.” Turning back to their prisoner Bruin began again, “Now tell me all you know.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you everything! A few weeks ago all the cultists started to receive orders by Raven, that we were to come here. Someone had found something, and because of what they found we were supposed to gather here and be ready to fight.”

“What did they find?”

“I don’t know.”

“I need to know what they found,” Bruin shouted at the man.

Frightened by Bruin’s sudden fury the man began to shake, “I don’t remember, ydr… ydra…”

“Ydrassil?” Bruin interjected.

“Yes, Ydrassil, that was it!”

Bruin shook his head, “No, that can’t be it,” he began to pace back and forth muttering to himself.

“What, what is Ydrassil Bruin?” Madylen asked the upset man.

“Ydrassil, is the last tree, the last connection that humans have to the magic of nature. It is hidden and protected by the druids, and serves as one of the greatest deterrents to the forces of Azmatan. if the cultists are here for it, we have to warn them, and help them defend it. Ydrassil cannot be allowed to fall.” Determination entered Bruin’s eyes, “Madylen, Genvieve, gather whatever supplies you can find around the tent, we have to leave immediately. I’ll deal with our prisoner.

“What are you going to do to him?” Madylen looked at Bruin, horrified at what his answer might be.

“What I must.” Bruin took his dagger back from Madylen and slowly walked towards the man, intent to kill in his eyes.

“You don’t have to kill me, I won’t talk I swear, please you don’t have to do this.” The cultist begged, speaking frantically.

“Bruin, you don’t have to kill him!” Madylen joined in, “He’s helpless he won’t talk I know he won’t.”

“We can’t risk it Madylen, if he talks we’ll have an entire camp of cultists to fight. Besides If I did spare his life today, he’ll just end up fighting against us later, I’m sorry, but I can’t let him live.” Bruin placed the tip of his dagger on the man’s chest, hovering above the man’s heart. “May you find some sort of peace in the afterlife.” Bruin struck swiftly, the cultist’s eyes bulged, then his begging stopped. Bruin cleaned his blade and sheathed it.

Genevieve walked over to Madylen, and placed her good hand on Madylen’s shoulder, “He had to do it, he had no choice.”

“I know… I just wish that things were different…” Madylen trailed off before going back to the task at hand.

Bruin quickly looked over the supplies the two girls had scavenged, “I wish we had found more food, but it’ll have to do. Genevieve if you could disguise us again we’ll be off.”

“Of course, Illusior,” the air rushed around the trio filled with magic, transforming the light around them so they appeared to be clothed in crimson robes.

“Alright, stay near me, and keep your heads down, we stop for nothing,” Bruin ushered the two girls out through the flaps of the tent and into the blinding light of day. The trio walked through a sea of crimson, being careful to avoid any attempt at communication. They swiftly went through row after row of tents until the majority of the camp was behind them. As the smells of fire and smoke were gradually replaced with the smells of grass and rock, they approached the last tent. Just a few more yards and they’d be out of the camp, just a little further, Bruin thought to himself. Then the sound of running footsteps was heard behind them, approaching them, faster and faster.

“You there! Stop!” Bruin stopped the group and slowly turned around, standing before the trio was a figure clothed in violet.