Chapter XCVI : Surveillance

  Earlmorn of Quartus, Third Day of Duskmoon

  Samuel sat in the scrying room of his new citadel. Flying twelve thousand spans above the Great Ocean, Zounds was fully operational, and its sensors were already collecting data. With the difficult tasks of taking off and reaching proper altitude now out of the way, the former Gnostic Knight decided to gather his own intel.

  The chamber he used was nearly empty, except for a single chair and a pool of enchanted water. The plain, aluminum walls were adorned with neither fixtures nor tapestries, and the only light came from the dull glow of liquified manna running through thick, glass tubes along the walls, which transported the powerful substance throughout the ship.

  On the surface of the pool’s magical water, Samuel watched the remains of Angkor’s capital crumble in a cloud of mortar and ash. Crackling arcs of magical energy cascaded across the room, brighter and more furious than any lightning storm. Powered by the Sagittarius Stone, the water’s reflection could show him anything he wanted. Any event, anywhere on Gaia, anytime within the past few days; or even something that occurred at that very moment, such as his brother’s victory against the mighty and immortal Abaddon of the Wroth Sea.

  Samuel leaned back in his chair to ponder the setback. He released his hold on the sunstone, careful to respect and meter its usage. As its power drained from his body, he felt weak and lethargic, a symptom he knew as one of the Ahriman’s many tools to increase its victim’s dependence on the sunstone. Belial of the Condemned Flame might have agreed to do Azazel’s bidding, but that didn’t mean the Ahriman would hold back from doing to his son that which was in its nature. Samuel knew quite well that these demons could not be tamed or bargained with. They could only be controlled by force, through the power of a moonstone.

  Despite Abraham’s miraculous triumph, he had not gained much. Abaddon was not destroyed. It was immortal, and now, merely dormant; until such time that it could feast on a new soul. Samuel couldn’t let Abraham return with the sunstone to Minoa. Once back in the hands of the Gurudeva, it would be difficult to retrieve. Somehow, he needed to coerce his brother to go against his better judgment. But, how …?

  As he pondered, one of his Faithful entered. The hooded man was handpicked, one of the several dozen scholars and warriors he had recruited over the years. Unlike the Ahrimen, Samuel did not force his henchmen into slavery. They served out of trust and loyalty, and they obeyed only him.

  He knew them all by name. “Speak, Adam. What news do you bring?”

  The hooded man bowed. “It’s Master Garvey, Sir. He says it’s urgent.”

  Samuel expected Virgil to seek him out, but not so soon. His flying fortress had barely made it off the ground. “Send him in.”

  He swiveled his chair, ready to greet his guest. He had already seen Virgil get beaten by his brother. But there was far more to that vision than the rogue wizard’s defeat. Virgil had many secrets, but Samuel never knew he wielded the power of nihil, much less that he’d given up his own lifeforce just to evade capture. Based on what he had witnessed, Virgil made a foolish decision. One which might have cost him dearly.

  When his guest entered, he wore a hooded robe, quite similar to those worn by his Faithful. The vestment wasn’t Virgil’s style, and it made Samuel suspicious.

  “Remove your hood. You know it’s not necessary, here.”

  A voice that sounded like Virgil’s answered, though it was softer, almost listless. “I’d prefer to remain as I am.”

  Samuel wanted to know what his colleague was hiding. He stood from his chair and glared. “I insist you remove it this instant and face me directly!”

  The hooded figure hesitated before complying. Samuel was shocked at the ghoulish face that stared back. Besides a very thin layer of skin, it could only be described as an animated skull, with eyeless sockets and a disembodied voice.

  “What happened to you?”

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  The figure shrugged like typical Virgil would have. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t already know. What did Beliel’s Eye show you?”

  Samuel contained his indignation, though just barely. He spoke through clenched teeth. “What are you accusing me of?”

  “Don’t play dumb.” The ghoul strutted forward nonchalantly. “You’ve had Beliel’s mark for weeks now. Clearly, your father’s side of your spirit is strong; else, you’d have been consumed by now. But don’t pretend you haven’t used its powers at least a little.”

  Samuel huffed. “Very well, then. It seems we both have our secrets. In that case, you needn’t explain how it happened, since I already know. However, I don’t understand how you can still stand before me and not be a pile of bones collecting dust inside Angkor’s waterways. How’d you manage that?”

  The deathly creature cocked its head. It had no lips, but the creases of skin that still remained curled into the semblance of a smile. “Ahh, now that’s the right question, isn’t it?” It circled around Samuel, as if taunting him.

  The former Knight was not amused. “You’re hardly in a position to play games. The Master won’t be lenient when he finds out what you’ve done.”

  The skeleton ceased its dance. “Sadly, there’s no way for him to find out. You see, I lost the power of nihil when I gave up my remaining lifeforce. Along with it, my only means of contacting the Master.”

  The admission caught Samuel off guard. He didn’t know if he should panic or be furious. “That’s all you have to say for yourself? If what you say is true, then you’re of no more use to the mission. Given the mess you’ve made, you should be punished. But, without a means to contact my father, I have no choice but to assume command and clean up what you’ve done.”

  The skeleton stood a bit straighter. “How noble of you. You do have this ship, after all, and all the sensors that I installed. You could use them to find the moonstones and carry out the mission without me.”

  Samuel scoffed. “Are you mocking me? Do you not know that Abraham has already beaten Abaddon with the power of anima and has possession of the Pices Stone?”

  The skeleton stared back blankly, suddenly devoid of pomp or emotion. “Then it seems we’re both guilty of underestimating him.”

  “That’s not all.” Samuel was far from finished. “I heard back from Libicocco a few hours ago. They succeeded in stealing the Capricorn Stone, but then … something went wrong. It’s not clear what, exactly, but the demon claims to have been betrayed. Imagine that. Whatever happened, both Gemini and Capricorn stones are now in their possession. Only one sunstone remains in ours.”

  For a few moments, nothing. But then the ghoul shrugged. “We’ll just have to figure it out.”

  “You’ll have no more to do with it.” Samuel pounded his fist in his palm for emphasis. “All this happened under your watch. If the Master knew half of what you’ve done, he’d banish you to a far off realm, where you’d never again see the light of day.”

  The skeletal face stared back without emotion. “So … this was your plan all along, was it? Bait me into choosing a course that you knew was destined to fail? I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  Samuel brushed the accusation aside. “Despite what you might think, it wasn’t personal. I had no reason to expect you to fail, but you did. And just as I was forced to face the consequences of my actions, so must you.”

  Samuel couldn’t recall the last time he saw Virgil look despondent. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought the ghoul was pouting.

  While it felt gratifying to have finally attained the upper hand, he thought it wise to soften the blow. “You needn’t lose heart. We wouldn’t have made it this far without your extensive knowledge or access to lost magic. You played your part, and the Master will take your service into consideration, when we reach Axismundi at the appointed time. With all artifacts in hand.”

  Virgil cocked his skull. “Then I take it you know a way to get the sunstones back into our possession?”

  Samuel felt satisfaction. It was clear the balance of power had shifted. “Before I tell you, I want to know more about your condition. No more beating around the bush. Had you given up your lifeforce entirely, you wouldn’t be here. So it’s obvious you found a way to cheat death. Tell me: how did you do it?”

  Virgil crossed his arms, the facsimile of a smile back on his skull. “I always have an ace up my sleeve. You must know by now that I used a totem, charged with the power of nihil. It was the source of my power. But, without my lifeforce, I knew it’d be useless. So I enchanted it with the power to hold my soul, should my body ever be destroyed. When I used the last of my lifeforce to escape from your brother, the enchantment activated. And now, it holds my soul and binds my bones together.”

  Samuel was skeptical. “You thought it wise to use the last of your gambits, just to flee as a potential hostage?”

  “I did, indeed!” Virgil didn’t hesitate. “You must learn that knowledge is our best asset. Should Abraham have interrogated me with the power of anima and learned what I know, he would become more dangerous than you could possibly imagine. We can never let that happen. Ever.”

  Samuel shook his head. “You paid a heavy price, using the last of your power. What good is knowledge, when you lack the means to implement it?”

  The ghoul held up a bony finger. “Ah, but it’s not too late. I believe there’s a way for me to get a new lifeforce. It wouldn’t be the same as the one I started with. But, in my condition, I suppose any lifeforce will do.”

  Samuel stroked his chin. “Fascinating. Then you have my leave to do what you must to resolve your condition. Just don’t get in the way of my plan.”

  The ghoul stared back. “Speaking of which, weren’t you planning to tell me what you had in mind?”

  Samuel grinned. “Listen close. Here’s what we’ll do ….”