Chapter 2: The Journey to the Edge of the World

After Castor's display of raw power, Marco and Ivetta pull their jaws off the ground and realize their bindings have also fallen away. Marco rushes to Castor and tries to wake him to no avail.

Viridis checks her sister, finding her breathing she is relieved but still furious with Castor.

She shouts at Castor “What did you do?!” He does not reply, being unconscious.

She stomps over to him. Ivetta stands in the way from her doing anything to him.

Marco goes to look for weapons in the carnage. Ivetta goes to look about the camp. She finds cells with skeletons, a meeting hall, a grain hall- finds spices that make meat last longer. Marco tries first aid on Castor but doesn’t know how to revive him.

Ivetta searches tents and finds more eviscerated bodies as well as a small fire that is starting to burn a tent.

Ivetta doesn't want to travel in the middle of the night with demons. Viridis is wary and untrusting of Castor. They decide to camp out there, among the blood and mangled corpses. Marco and Ivetta go check out the basement of one of the halls but see the fire spreading among the tents and decide to leave. Viridis goes to get the horses, Marco and Ivetta go search the basement and set the door with no handles on fire to open it. The fire instead spreads to the cellar stairs. Oop can't that explore now.

Marco looks though the center tent and thinks he sees some gold but needs people to get it down. He gets Ivetta and she sees nothing. They decide that yeah the camp is *on fire* and they need to gtfo

Marco pulls Castor on his horse with him. On the way out, Castor almost slips off but Marco manages to catch him. Viridis brings her sister on her horse. They leave the burning camp hearing moos and and baas as the barn burns a bunch of poor animals alive. Imilia’s husband is left behind the burn to death as well.

As they ride a bubble surrounds the group keeping the fog and whatever lurks within, at bay.

Marco and Viridis find their way, through the stars, to the river. They follow it and eventually come upon another structure: an old water mill, decrepit and old as well as a farmhouse.

In the farmhouse it is simple and sparse with considerable structural damage. A bed, empty fireplace, small kitchen with cabinets open. Viridis props up her unconscious sister against the wall and settles in to sleep. Marco puts Castor on the bed and finds a spot for himself on the floor. Ivetta finds a spot as well and tries to sleep.

Marco has a pleasant dream about a giant cloud made of bread.

While asleep Castor has a dream:

Flashes of a lifetime ago stories, he will never know. A huge cathedral with no dome. A man toiling over books and scrolls. Suddenly an idea hits him and he rushes to the open cathedral- 10 or so officials stand around him under the open sky. Takes item from his pocket. He breaks the egg carefully and sets it upon a table, the top of the egg forming a dome.

After a few hours of sleep Castor wakes up scrunching his eyes then opening them slowly. He closes them a moment later. He sits up gasping. Everyone is woken up. Frantic, Castor asks “What?! Where are we? Are we dead?!” He grasps at his throat. Marco tries to calm him. “It’s okay, no we’re fine, you, uh, got us out of there. We’re all fine.”

“What? I don’t even remember! What happened?”

“You should rest.” he tries to push him back down onto the bed. Castor pushes him away.

“I’m not tired, please tell me what happened!”

Marco starts, “Well, You, uh, floated and glowed—”

Viridis chimes in “and you killed everybody.” Castor looked at her like she opened a door to hell and introduced her to the devil himself. “I did WHAT?! I killed them all?! How? There were so many!”

“Well I think it was magic based on the glowing…”

“Magic!? But I— I don’t. I can’t— That’s—” He gets up. His legs wobbly like a newborn colt and makes his way to the door. Ivetta and Marco follow him out the door. Castor makes his way to his horse. Ivetta talks to him trying to get him to stay. Saying that his eyes glowed like the mark on his back, maybe it's that. Castor remarks, "the triangle didn’t kill anybody, *I* did." Marco offers water but Castor is sitting on his horse looking at his shaking, blood covered hands. In a Bro Moment**™** Marco pours water on his hands and washes off some blood. “Where you going to go in the middle of the night? And what about finding God? He’s waiting for you.”

“Anywhere, I don't care, I killed all those people. God doesn’t want to see me.” Tears flow down his face washing blood and mud away. “I- I broke one of the ten commandments—the big ones. THOU SHALT NOT KILL!! I AM GOING TO HELL! He’s crying vehemently when Ivetta pipes up with “Maybe what you did was with the power of God.”

“What? I’m not God.”

“I mean he gave you the power to save us, you did save us Castor, you saved all our lives.”

“You think- God shone His light through me?” He sniffs, “That I— He smited those sinners through me? I—” his face brightens a bit, he crosses himself and kisses his cross necklace. “God is with us, he guides our holy quest.” He gets down off his horse and looks down at himself. His tunic is covered in dried mud and blood. “I should wash.” Ivetta agrees and says she’ll do the same heading down to the river immediately. Marco and Castor reenter the house. Viridis is still on the floor holding her sister. Castor starts at the sight of Imilia and gives a tentative look to Viridis, who is glaring at him. He grabs his bag and swiftly exits. Marco stays behind and talks to VIridis.

Castor heads to the river to wash himself and his clothes, he brings his horse, Azur, along. Ivetta also washes but down stream. When she’s done she heads back seeing an angry Marco sitting amongst the horses. Then enters the house and speaks to Viridis. When she exits again she gives Marco a thumbs up, Viridis coming out behind her.

They search for food for a while then discuss the plan. Ivetta takes out the map. Castor points to the heel of the boot of Italy- “this looks like the edge of the world to me, maybe God is there.” Eventually, They decide to head to Rome, thinking it's one of the holiest places, perhaps they’ll find some answers there. Ivetta writes in her journal and a magical response appears saying *follow your hearts*.

They decide on fake names and roles. From Sienna on pilgrimage to Rome. Ivetta explains the magical journal belonged to her father. Who didn’t actually die of the plague as was said about town, but was killed by the church because of his heresy. She insists the church is corrupt, getting fat on its riches and succumbing to Indulgences that do not benefit the people. She believes that is why God needs to be found- to reform the corrupted church. Castor doesn’t quite believe her on that one.

They follow the river for a while then go off into the forest on Marco’s direction. Viridis facts checks him and says he’s going the wrong way. Course corrected, they notice that as they ride further away from Florence the fog becomes less dense in the nights. Out here there is more wildlife.

After a few days Imilia hasn’t awoken. Ivetta says she needs medical attention. Viridis asks if Castor can do anything about this since he’s the one who did this to her. Castor says he can try. They stop and he gets off Azur. For about 20 minutes he prays and hopes and pours all his thoughts into healing her. Nothing happens. He’s sweating and shaking but eventually shakes his head adding, “I guess my power is limited to killing.” Viridis says snidely “yeah that's all you're good for.” This cuts Castor to his core. He gets up and back on his horse, more melancholy than ever.

Eventually they reach the base of a grassy hill. At the top of this there's a bush. The only foliage around. Heading toward it, about a mile and a half up, the bush catches fire. Blue, purple flames. Castor crosses himself and feels a rush of adrenaline. They all approach. Ivetta reaches to touch the flames which don’t burn with any heat. Castor takes out the cross and it grows hotter as they approach. The light from the bush streams like sun through water.

Suddenly on a precipice— the edge of the world. Nothing but empty sky down and as far as the eye can see, save the other floating islands. YOOOOO they were on one of the islands the whole time.

The cross burns Castor’s hand and he drops it. It rises into the air and floats.

A bright light — An angel with wings, curly hair, leather armor, short sword, and sandals—holds his hand out— just out of reach. Castor reaches for him but misses. He jumps off the island, enraptured by the holy being holding out his hand. He doesn’t fall but lands on some invisible surface. Walking further Castor reaches his hand and takes it. The Angel gives him a warm smile and beckons the others.

Ivetta bravely walks out onto the nothing as she saw Castor do. Marco watches warily. Viridis is backing away slowly. Castor calls to them “come on guys— this was the whole point of our quest!” For once, he’s smiling, a cute, crooked smile. Ivetta calls to Viridis, “it's safe. I’m standing on the nothing and I’m fine, Castor too.” The horses walking toward them, totally chill. Marco says to Viridis “you have to come with, what are you going to go back to?” Viridis grabs her horse’s reins, he’s carrying her sleeping sister and inches forward. At last they all join Castor next to the angel, horses next to their masters.

The angel turns and walks they follow. The void below feels like grass. After a few minutes walking, the angel disappears. Shocked, Castor starts praying and something flies toward them. The golden cross Castor dropped It floats in front of them. The cross is bleeding. Just out of reach. The cross falls and Castor leaps for it but misses and the invisible walkway, disappears. They all fall, screaming. Castors hand burns and the cross is near his head. He grabs it. As soon as he does, a purple bubble surrounds the group and slows their descent. The bubble becomes opaque then pops and they find they’re in a completely different place:

They’re atop a large mountain. Desert sprawls out before them, an ominous cloud of dust on the horizon. A medium sized city built of sandstone sits peacefully, lit by torches.

They all kinda stand there, shocked for a minute. Marco pipes up and says “we should head to that town before that storm breaks.”

Castor looks at him like he’s insane. “We just saw an *angel* and you want to take shelter?! We witnessed a miracle! And now we’re in a completely different place!” Marco seems not to have processed everything. Viridis checks her sister’s pulse, afraid she died during the excitement. Castor looks guilty as fuck and his giddiness fades as he says they should seek medical treatment for her in the town.

As they set foot on the road their visions black out and hear a different voice tell them to find a golden necklace with a strange 'w' symbol.

Castor exclaims “What? More thievery?!” He sighs, “The lord works in mysterious ways.”

TBC

Episode Three: A Whole New World