Thaddeus (Chapter 19)

Template:Thaddeus nav Their ways are naught but whitewash and lies!

What do they tear down that cannot be rebuilt?

Shut a man out, and the way may be opened.

Ask of the wise. They know judges to be fools,

Send priests away stripped of discernment,

Lose the crowns of kings and bind them in sacks.

We come from the womb for but a few days.

The Light can never be extinguished.

-- The Book of Radenis, c. 14, v. 12-19

Devak accompanied Thaddeus back to the Flayer village. The place was still littered with bodies and blood, which seemed to meet with Devak's complete approval.

"Woo-wee! Looks like it got pretty hairy here."

"Hairy?" Thaddeus asked.

"Don't think I've seen this many of the little bastards dead in one place yet. You say you went in here alone?"

Thaddeus was removing human heads and other decorative elements from the huts. "I am a soldier of the light. I am never truly alone."

"Yeah, whatever you say. Looks like you just bashed in their skulls, didn't ya?"

"It was necessary. I understand that, in happier times, these strange little people were friendly with the peoples of Kehjistan."

Devak shrugged. "No way are they ever gonna be again. These little lunatics killed too damn many of us. Better to just wipe the little fvckers out."

Quietly, Thaddeus laid the Flayers' last victims beside a still pool, and knelt in prayer. He'd found many bodies in the jungle, poor people who hadn't fled quite fast enough. There was no time to bury them, but it didn't matter, with the speed everything rotted. "That does sound very sensible."

"Fvckin'-A! Hey, sorry if the language is bad or anything?"

Thaddeus shook his head. "Violent words for violent times. Tell me, do you know this place? How close are we to the walls of Kurast?"

"Just up the river. You're practically in sight of it. If you could see anything, anyway."

"Very good. Tell me, what is that hole there? Those look like stairs."

"Flayer pit. Never go into those."

"Why not?"

"They've got some heavy sh!t in there, man. Tight little tunnels, can't stand up, can't see anything. Go in there, you don't come out again."

"Hmm." Blessed Hammer, Thaddeus knew, didn't work well in confined spaces. He'd have to go through by hand, and might not be able to give Devak much protection. "Perhaps you should just show me the way to Kurast, then."

"I'm not afraid to go in there, you know! I'm not afraid to go in that place, I'm not afraid to go into that fvcking place!"

Thaddeus looked surprised. "I never said you were. You were assigned to show me the way to Kurast, and nothing else. It wouldn't be right to expect more from you."

"Yeah. Yeah, those were my orders. You gonna sit there all day?"

"I was kneeling," Thaddeus said. "There is nothing more I can do. Show me the way."

"Glad to. Just stay out of the way of my fireballs."

Having a mercenary was a lot of trouble for Thaddeus. Devak was the guide, so he had to lead the way -- but he wasn't up to a full frontal assault from a pack of Flayers. The Iron Wolves usually came through in a pack, covering each other, and Thaddeus had to break his concentration many times and rush to defend him. Granted, having a sorcerer was nice for the Flayers with blowguns, but they weren't the dangerous ones. A pack of pygmies would filet him in an instant if Thaddeus weren't in the way. The Book of the Hammer didn't say anything about working with others. The way of the Blessed Hammer seemed best suited to a single warrior, with no one to protect but himself.

Working with Devak had other disadvantages. Foremost among them was his charming personality. He went at the business of being a mercenary with great relish, blasting Flayers right and left, or dueling with the shamans to see who could roast the other fastest. Mages aren't sturdy enough to fight a war this way; Asheara's influence, no doubt. It did seem to reflect a certain lack of practical experience. Occasionally, Devak would take direction, if it involved burning something. Put a string of fireballs along the treeline, please set this bush on fire, things of that nature.

When they found the second Flayer village, they'd both had just about enough of the hireling experience. Thaddeus' skills worked best when he was by himself, with the enemy clustered around him. For his part, Devak wanted to keep well away from the Flayers, and didn't like Thaddeus standing near something he wanted to blow up. Clearing this second village was harder and more time consuming, thanks to their lack of cooperation. Near the village was a waypoint, and a boggy pool of water. A stone platform sat in the middle of the pool, with a tiny causeway connecting it to land.

"That looks like another pit in the middle of that pond."

Devak was just grinning. "You smell that?"

Thaddeus sniffed. "Smell what?"

"Burning Flayers. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love that smell. Smells like... victory. Someday, this war is gonna end. When it does... we are so gonna rule this place."

"You think so?"

"Hell yeah. We're doing really good now. Got a lot of money, lot of equipment, nobody else in the place can take it away from us. You smash the church, who they gonna call?"

Thaddeus frowned. "Who will call?"

"Whoever's in charge! Hell, it might even be Asheara. Who's gonna say no? That'd be cool. We'd be, like, the power brokers."

The Iron Wolves would be the only military presence left in Kurast. "Taking care of the church will come first, of course."

"That's your job. Your technique's kind of weird, but, hey. Whatever works."

Thaddeus nodded, trying to ignore the bad taste in his mouth. The more he dealt with this mercenary, the less he liked him, or Asheara. They were so... mercenary. Having them be in charge of a country would be madness. But they would be, by dint of sheer force, without something to rein them in. "How far to the city?"

"Couple hundred yards upriver."

"Very well. Now that I'm out of the marsh, the river's course is clearer. You have been a great help to me; please commend yourself to Asheara."

"Hey, I was figuring I'd take you into the city. You know, see the sights, waste a bunch of your fellow Paladins. They fry up nice."

With effort, Thaddeus kept his expression neutral. "Before I go to the city, I plan to search the Flayer pits. I am sure they have put their most valuable things down there, and it would be worthwhile to find them."

"Oh. Yeah, that's a good idea. So... you don't need me sticking around, then?"

"I feel I can manage. Besides, someone has to bring word back to the docks."

"Sure, yeah. I'm gonna do that. Well, see ya."

Below the stone platform, tiny steps led down into a deep dungeon. How they kept this pit from flooding completely was beyond Thaddeus. Muddy water was everywhere, dripping from the walls and ceiling, in deep puddles all over the floor. The only good thing about it was that the splashing of tiny feet could be heard long before the Flayers arrived. As might be expected, they were in force in their own lair, and Thaddeus' best skill was useless in the cramped tunnels. In an occasional open area, he could let the hammers fly, but most of his fighting was done by hand.

The Flayers weren't alone in the swampy pit; the place was full of Wraiths. These spirits are created by painful death, so there must have been a great deal of agony down in the pits in the recent past. Human bodies, and pieces of them, were everywhere. To judge from them, Flayers were cannibalistic, and liked their meat still bleeding. These wretches had probably been kept alive for days, their limbs slowly being carved away in pieces to feed the Flayers' hyperactive appetites.

After methodically emptying the second pit, Thaddeus went back to the first. This pit was less damp and more open, but the fighting was even more savage. Flayers, Wraiths, and Tentacle Beasts filled the dungeons, and there were traps in every corridor. For a while, Thaddeus wondered how these dungeons had come to be. The Flayers seemed like a very primitive people, not up to large excavations, or working stone. Then he remembered, this area was civilized until very recently. This was probably someone's basement. It was still impressive that they managed to keep water out, given the swampy soil.

The deepest part of the Flayer dungeon was home to an exceptionally fiery shaman and a pack of his cohorts. Thaddeus tentatively approached, and got a face-full of the hottest flame he'd yet felt. No wonder the Iron Wolves stayed away; even with great resistance to fire, these ones were dangerous. But they were all in an open chamber... with no columns or walls to get in the way. After assessing the situation, Thaddeus smiled, and calmly walked through them into the middle of the room. They seemed surprised (but not ungrateful) when he went down on one knee; then the hammers started spinning. Another short battle behind him, Thaddeus looked over the room.

A glowing, golden chest sat in one corner of the chamber. It held a few rare items (nothing particularly noteworthy) and a well-preserved human brain. Another of Khalim's artifacts? It had to be; anything else would have rotten away long before this. After a short but joyous prayer, Thaddeus returned to the docks.

"Cain, I have a brain!"

"I should hope so," Cain deadpanned. "Though as with all things, the use is more important than the possession."

"No, another of Khalim's relics! I am sure of it."

"Oh, of course! This is most fortunate. Khalim's brain will know Mephisto's weaknesses. I wonder if the Horadric Cube could be used to reunite the parts."

"I would not expect so. This is a miracle from Heaven, not alchemy."

Cain smiled. "The forces of heaven make use of the same magical powers we ourselves do. It is quite likely that our own understanding of magic will be enough to help this miracle along."

While it might be true, Thaddeus had his doubts. Then again, Heaven may have arranged for him to have the tools he needed, without their direct intervention. "If I attempt such a thing, we will need more of Khalim's body. Given how thoroughly the church has divided and scattered him, I am afraid resurrecting the saint may be too time consuming. I may have to make my assault on the Brothers myself."

"Oh, yes." Apparently, Cain hadn't considered how much time it would take to reassemble Khalim's entire body. "Perhaps if we bring together more of him, we may at least speak to him, and ask his advice."

"That may be so. I cannot imagine that I have found these relics, unless I was meant to. In a quiet way, Heaven's will is at work here. As we respected their voices, we must respect their silence, and do as we know we must."

From the waypoint, Thaddeus made his way upriver again. A few solitary knots of Flayers still attacked, but their power was broken. Just as Devak had described, the outer walls of Kurast soon came into view. Jungle growth covered the stonework; any attacking enemy would have his choice of vines to climb, if the gates hadn't fallen off already. The closer he got, the more the walls came into view through the trees, the worse the smell was. He saw the pair of giant, gemmed skulls over the open gates as he was walking down an avenue of heads. Row after row of human heads, impaled on pikes. The outer ones had fallen over into the bogs; piles of them now filled the water.

A cohort of Thorned Hulks guarded the gate. One must have come from a lightning-struck tree -- electricity filled its every fiber. Fortunately, it wasn't so huge that a well-placed charge wouldn't knock it over. After putting them to rest, Thaddeus entered the lower city, a ruin covered with trees and vines. Buildings still stood, but bodies were everywhere. Most had rotted down to scattered bones already. The ones who weren't had been tied to posts or around trees, and cruelly tortured until they died.

Lower Kurast was full of animals. Some of the desert Leapers were here, their skins gone green with some fungus. Huge black apes, with razor-like spines along their backs, might have been temple monkeys, or the passive vegetarian giants of the jungle, once upon a time. It was while he was dealing with a pack of apes that Thaddeus saw Zakarumites.

How could the Iron Wolves call these creatures Paladins? No auras of holiness accompanied them; they bore no shields. All wielded giant axes or scythes, common farming tools. Yet... they wore the ragged remains of churchly robes, now stained and half rotted away. Paladins are expected to wear these simple robes in the temple, to represent the purity and simplicity of faith. They plied their crude weapons with zeal, such as might be expected of the Hand of Zakarum. Could they have fallen so far?

Thaddeus stopped casting Blessed Hammers, and attacked the Zakarumites by hand. These men did not look possessed; the glare of Hell did not shine from their eyes. He'd captured Rogues, and did the sisterhood a lot of good. Maybe he could capture a Zakarumite. The trouble was, these warriors fought on no matter how much Thaddeus battered their bodies. The spirits who possessed the Rogues could only force so much from their hosts. The Zakarumites fought with such fanaticism, the only way Thaddeus could stop them was to kill them. Finally, only one was left. Instead of striking him down, Thaddeus slammed him with his shield, then tripped him up and sat on him.

"Hail, brother. Why are you here, in this place?"

"You are no brother of mine," the Zakarumite spat. "You're one of them, wrapped in a cloak to conceal you. You're lying, father of lies, splitter of falsehoods and tongues!"

"Fragments of scripture do not make up wisdom. I am a Protector of the Word; we left this place years ago. Are you of the Hand of Zakarum?"

"You're with them. We must kill them. We must incinerate them. Pig after pig, cow after cow, village after village, army after army. You lie. You want us to be merciful to the ones who lie, how I hate you... Get off me!"

This might take more time than dealing with the Rogues had. This man was in control of his faculties... after a fashion. "Maybe you're right, I have been listening to lies. You can enlighten me, set me straight on the path of righteousness."

"There is no turning back from the twisted path!" the Zakarumite screamed. "I am lost. Claws scuttle along the floor of the temple. A man in a brown mantle came, and I had to bow and worship him."

Maybe this wouldn't take so long after all. The Zakarumite was starting to cry. "May I see him, the man in the brown mantle?"

"You don't talk to him! You don't talk to any of them. You listen. Sankekur has enlarged my mind. He's a poet-warrior, greater than all of us. The temples, they're all for him now. Sometimes he'll, uh, well, you'll bow to him, and he'll just walk right by you, he won't even notice you. And suddenly he'll grab you, and he'll throw you in a corner, and he'll say, do you know that fire is cool? It's not hot, it's cool, and heals, he told me that. It has been told to us! In the beginning, Light shone upon the darkness and the foundations of earth were lain. The wicked try to steal by deceit, and sing in the goodness of the houses, while the Patriarch of all tells us, if you can trust yourself -- I mean I'm no, I can't -- I'm a little man, I'm a little man, he's, he's a great man."

With growing sadness and alarm, Thaddeus listened. "A great man, yes."

The man kept babbling. "He said, I'm going to kill you. And he meant it! He gets friendly again, he does. But you don't judge him like an ordinary man. If you could have heard the man, just two days ago, if you could have heard the man! His sermons are unbelievable! There's so much purity, and strength, and power, and he forgets himself. I mean, we all forget who we are, no, we remember! Why do you want to kill him?"

"Why would I want to kill who?"

"Him! He's expecting you. He expected someone like you. Do you know you're expected? Why? Why would a nice guy like you wanna kill him? Did you know they like you? I heard them, them saying you were coming, they talked about you. They like you, really like you. Now him, he's got something in mind for you. There's something happening here. You know something, I know something, but you won't talk to me. You just sit there and lie. That's right, I know you're a liar! The man is clear in his mind, but his soul is mad. He hates all this, he hates it! But something in his soul wants it to happen."

"Something is sitting in his soul," Thaddeus slowly answered. "You know that is true."

"He likes you because you're still alive. He's got plans for you. You're going to help him. This is suffering on the earth, our hands were frustrated and saw no success. The Hand went everywhere, we killed and killed, but the enemy was behind us. Logic says there is love, and there is hate -- no fractions! I love you, man. You ever consider freedom? From the opinions of others, even yourself? I want to be free. I hate you so much..."

Thaddeus couldn't make out any more words. Listening to the Zakarumite sob, no words would come to him. He just wept. They cried together for a while. The Zakarumite still tried to push Thaddeus off and reach his axe. But Thaddeus knew it wasn't him doing it. When no more tears came, Thaddeus kneeled on the man's back, and swung his scepter at the spot on the back of the skull, just where the neck joins.

On the docks, Thaddeus asked Cain, "What do you know of Compelling Orbs?"

"Hmm? A Compelling Orb is a powerful device indeed, made by the mage clans of..."

"How may one be found and destroyed, Cain?"

The tone in Thaddeus' voice alarmed Cain. "You... believe there is one in Kurast?"

"The church has had one for centuries. It was used to compel truth from priests taking their vows, and to keep lies out of trials. In unhappy times, the orb could compel truth from enemies without torture. It is being used for something else now. I know it."

"Compelling Orbs are very powerful, and not easily destroyed. How do you know this?"

"Because my brothers and sisters in Kurast love me, and have seen the madness of their ways. How do you destroy an orb?"

Cain thought for a while. "I am not sure. It is rare for anyone to want to destroy one."

"I need to now. You do not know?"

Cain shook his head. "I am afraid I do not."

Thaddeus glared at the ground. "You are useless, old man. I need to sleep."