Episode Nineteen: All Oceans Lead to Rome

The purple bubble pops. Castor and Ivetta hold the reins of their horses. Hollinzoller, Gerrard, and Father Tobias stand in front of them. Church bells ring out.

Castor’s jaw drops, “F-father? I thought you stayed behind…?”

Looking out over the city, not turning to face Castor he speaks, “Why am I still here? Am I just an unwilling witness as you inflict your will on this world?”

“I-I s-s-suppose God wants you here?”

“I know I have sinned but this seems to be a rather cruel punishment. I suppose all I can ask for are answers, one day.”

The group stands at the base of the stairs near the river. A boatman waves at them as he departs. Hollinzoller leads the way up the steps. The city is vibrant, bustling, and busy. Hundreds of people fill the streets, most are well dressed and some not so much but all more well dressed than these motley five. Lots of religious people kneeling on the ground. They pray then shuffle up on their knees up toward a church. The city shines with cleanliness, no shit in the streets. Aqueducts bring flowing water through the city. Off in the distance, the towering structure of Saint Peter's Basilica. They all see beyond the city seven rolling hills, telling them where exactly they've all ended up.

Hollinzoller turns and says to Father Tobias, “Cheer up Father, you're in the holiest city in the world for your people and, at least this time it's clean.”

Castor ascends the steps with the others. She stops at the top only gleaning a glimpse of the city before she grabs her head, stricken by a terrible migraine. She hears men whispering all around her and her vision is covered by a filthy black cloud. She sees herself, standing outside the gates of the city. Her clothes are torn to shreds, great scratches litter her body, bleeding freely. As if some animal attacked her. As she looks at the city, another sun rises and falls upon the city. She and the city are engulfed in flames.

She returns to herself. Freakin out. She’s panting, her eyes darting around, “wha-- we need to get out of here! There’s something.. Something is going to destroy the city!”

Ivetta tries to calm her, “Castor, it's alright. The city is fine.”

“But didn’t you see-? I saw- a vision. we-we have to leave as soon as we can.”

“Don’t you need to find your waypoint?” Hollinzoller asks.

“I saw no waypoint. I have no idea what it is we’re looking for. I only saw a second sun destroy the city. Everything was burned to ash, including me.”

“Second sun?” Ivetta asks.

“That is what it looked like. I can’t describe it any other way.”

Hollinzoller cuts in, “Maybe your sleep deprivation is making your visions more vivid. We haven’t slept in who knows how long. We should find a place to stay.“

“But this wasn’t like any others, I have never seen myself before.” Castor notices that people have started looking around at them, at her, speaking hysterically.

Gerrard, quite cross, blurts, “Can we just sit? Find an inn?”

Castor, not looking at him, whispers in a small voice, “of course.” Hollinzoller starts walking, the others trailing behind. Father Tobias remains silent through their conversation.

Hollinzoller leads the way, not wandering aimlessly, purposefully walking to an inn. Walking up to the inn they see a few beggars outside. One is an elderly man who is pretty sick. Castor sees a few people looking at her longer than is comfortable. Even when they do turn away, she can't shake the feeling of being watched. They realize most of these people are religiously dressed. They look oddly at the group of poorly dressed, dirty travelers.

They get inside. Hollinzoller buys a room for himself. Ivetta gives the innkeeper her coin from Stralsund. The woman, delighted, says they can have rooms for the whole month. She and Castor share anyway. Tobias says he will seek accommodations elsewhere, a nearby church. Gerrard immediately heads to his room.

Castor asks, “Can we all talk, somewhere a-away from everybody? I can’t shake the feeling somebody is watching us.” Hollinzoller offers his room and they go up.

“You think we were being watched, Castor?” He says.

“It might be just a feeling, I am tired. But we have no plan, no idea what we are looking for here.”

Father Tobias says, "Well we can start by returning the papal tiar. After that we can find out why it is you are here.”

“How will we do that? Wait, it did only have one charge, right?”

“Are you wanting to return it because it is the right thing or because it is of no further use to you?”

Castor looks affronted, “I certainly don’t deserve to carry such a holy artifact around, but I want  to make sure someone won’t touch it and accidentally disappear or use it in some nefarious way.” He grunts noncommittally. “But how do we return it? It's not something you just hand somebody.”

Father Tobias says, “At least one of us should be able to walk in there.”

Hollinzoller scoffs, “You’re not a cardinal, why would they let you in?”

“Perhaps because I have the papal crown.”

“They might have their own copy.”

“Then they will be very interested in removing it from circulation.”

“It'll be considered a fake.”

“Good. The papal state is beset by God, not a crown with golden jewels.” he stands from the table, pushing his chair back, “I will be resting nearby. Sleep now. We will take care of this upon waking.” Hollinzoller opens the door with magic as Tobias approaches and closes it when he is through the threshold.  Ivetta and Castor also leave, falling into bed and sleeping as soon as face meets pillow.

A pounding comes at the girls’ door. They've only gotten about ten minutes of sleep but Castor bolts up, terrified. She opens it to a rambling Gerrard. He says something unintelligible about a cathedral, people, and Father Tobias.

“Gerard! It's alright. But I can't understand you, what's wrong?”

Breathless he says, “Father Tobias is in trouble at the cathedral. You must come help! He- he sent me.”

“Lead the way. Ivetta are you coming?”

She grumbles into her pillow. “I’m too exhausted.”

“I’ll get Hollinzoller, don’t worry.” She grabs her warhammer then goes downstairs and pounds on Hollinzoller’s door. A  groan sounds from within.

“Whaddaya want?”

“It's- there's trouble…"

"Whatddya mean? Who?"

"Father Tobias…”

“He can take care of himself.”

Slightly exasperated, Castor says, “alright well we’re going to...What cathedral Gerrard?”

“I don’t know, some cathedral, I don’t know the names!”

“We’ll be at a cathedral if we don’t come back, please find us.” They run from the inn toward the nearest cathedral. It is packed and other people run to it alongside them. Something strange is going on there.

The two run past an alley. Suddenly, Gerard faceplants on the ground. His nose making a crunch as it hit the road, most definitely a break. “Gerrard!” Castor cries. She tries to help him but his body is yanked into the alley. She hears him hit the walls a few more times. She readies her hammer and follows him in.

She feels like she is running through a spiderweb, slow and sticky. It is dimly lit ahead and behind her is blackness. Gerrard is unconscious, his nose dripping blood. His body leaning at the crux, the intersection of the alley. Cautious, she casts detect magic. She sees it above and behind her, covering the area in a square of magical aura. But nothing ahead. She pokes her head out, glancing left then right.

Gerrard is pulled up, held by one of three men in brown robes. A gleaming dagger is held to Gerrard’s throat. The robed man then speaks with the familiar metallic distortion of the masked man, “You are a Chati, drop your weapon.”

“Don’t, don’t hurt him!”

“Drop it! Or I will kill him.” He angles the knife into his neck. She drops her hammer, holding up her hands.

Someone runs up behind her. She turns on a dime, sidestepping him and using his momentum, she pushes him into the man holding Gerrard. He tumbles into the others like a train and Gerrard is dropped. Castor tries and fails to catch him with magic so she grabs him with her arms. In that time the six robed men have all drawn their swords and point them at her.

They’re slightly nervous, yet they do not approach.

Castor tries to muster her voice to fury, “*What do you* *want*?” It falls a little flat as she hears the quiver of fear.

“By the right of Malum you are under arrest, Chati.”

“I don’t even know what a Malum is…”

When she says the name the men all say “Malum, be with you” in unison.

The metal grates again, “Come peaceably.”

“If you really wanted me to come peaceably you shouldn't have attacked those I love.”

“There was no other way.”

“I'll come peaceably if you put your weapons down.” Head robed man snaps his fingers and the five sheath their swords.

“I wish to return my companion to the inn.”

“Leave him here.”

“How do I know he will be safe here?”

“We have the power to take you both.” Reluctantly, she sets him gently on the ground, wiping some blood from his temple with tenderness, the act at odds with their situation.

“Drop to your knees Chati.” She acquiesces. They gruffly tug and tie her hands behind her back.

The main man kneels in front of her, words tumble from his lips, “by the order of Malum the kaldien have been charged with your execution.” He pulls the knife that had, moments before, been at Gerrard’s throat and stabs Castor's.

All Castor remembers is seeing white.

She wakes up, still in the alley, unsure of how much time has passed. She looks around. Blood splatters cover the walls. Nothing else remains, no bodies, no bones, just blood dripping to the ground. Gerrard is the same as before, still out cold. She has no idea what time it is, how long she's been here. She attempts to get up but a terrible pain jolts down her body, lighting each nerve aflame. Turning to see herself she is surprised to find herself grievously injured. Gashes ooze blood, slicing her back, stomach, chest, arms, and legs. Her arms shake from holding herself up. Her strength fails. The pain is too much. Her eyes roll into the back of her head and she falls unconscious once more.

Ivetta is woken from a deep sleep by Hollinzoller's pounding on the door. He's frantic saying Father Tobias and Castor have not returned. A glance out the window reveals a group of monks coming to the inn's door asking for a "Mr. Hollinzoller." They both escape out the window of the room. The two search, finding the mass of people crowding around the cathedral.

Ivetta spots what could be two drunks passed out in an alley. Thankfully for her friends, she investigates further and finds that it is Castor and Gerrard. Blood covers the wall, dribbles down Gerrard's lips, and pools beneath Castor. She looks near dead, the only sign of life her shallow breathing. Hollinzoller heads for Castor and begins healing her with magic. As he does, his journal falls from his pocket. Ivetta picks it up and puts it in her bag. A flash of blinding light and then nothing.

Light streams through a window. Castor blinks to clear the blurriness from her eyes. Turning her head she sees Gerard in a bed to her right and Ivetta in a bed to her left. Pain chokes the questions she has all she can manage is to grit her teeth while tears seep from the corners of her eyes. The slashes are healed to puffy scars but a new pain rips down her left side ending at her ankle, later revealed to be a burn.

Ivetta wakes, pain searing her body. The entirety of her body, save the right side of her face and upper right chest, is marred with burns. Some healed to scars, but others left half healed. She can't ever remember feeling this degree of pain. She grabs the sheet, stuffs a handful in her mouth and screams into it.

Father Tobias, sleeping on a bed in front of the door, wakes from this outburst. He gets up, puts on his glasses, and tries calming her, "Ivetta it's alright. Calm yourself." He stands fiddling with things at a table for a moment. He brings her water saying, "here, this will help." He helps her drink. To her amazement, the pain slowly starts to dissipate.

"What was in that?"

"I had a doctor visit. What happened to you two?"

Ignoring his question for a moment, she asks, "Where are we?"

"A church. I saw a pillar of light rise into the sky and I found you all at its origin. Hollinzoller was the only one conscious, trying to heal the both of you. What happened?"

"Hollinozller and I went to find you and Castor. We found her and Gerrard, hurt and unconscious in an alley. While Hollinzoller was healing Castor, his journal fell out of his pocket. I picked it up and put it in my bag. Something happened because after that...I don't remember anything. Castor what- why were you in that alley?"

Castor, oddly quiet thus far, still lies, staring at the ceiling. She sipped the offered medicine, but sank back to the bed, continuing to stare, tears rolling down the sides of her face. The prompting from Ivetta gleans no response for several moments. Eventually, Castor swipes at the tears and speaks in a whisper, "I-we were heading to help you Father, but we- g-got attacked. Gerrard he-he got dragged into an alley. I- they were going to kill him. They were men in robes they said-they said, 'by the order of Malum' the kaldien have been charged with my execution. He st-stabbed at my throat and then I-everything after that is just... blank."

"I think I understand what happened but I feel that Hollinzoller will have more answers."

"Where is he?"

"He is in another room. He passed out after trying to heal you both."

“Why are we burned? I w-woke up in the alley for a moment a-after...I just had these slash marks.”

Ivetta says, “I’m not sure. I got there after the kaldien were gone.”

“They may have done something from a distance,” Tobias reasons.

“But I- there was nothing l-left of them but-” she swallows, “but blood.”

“There could be more, spread across the city.”

Castor bites her lip in worry, “What day is it?”

“The next.”

Shyly Castor asks, “Are you alright Father? Why did Gerrard come to get me?”

“I couldn't really leave for reasons you will be aware of shortly. If you two are capable of moving we should go. This is an opportunity that few are granted.”

Eventually the pain eases enough that they are able to get up and go to see Hollinzoller. He's on a bed in a room with a balcony next to him, a pleasant breeze blowing in through the open doorway.

“If I had to guess, his fatigue is of a different nature than normal.”

“Wait,” Ivetta rummages through her bag and finds her diary. The other is next to Hollinzoller.

“Remember how I said something happened, maybe it's when they touched that's when the bright light happened.” She pulls out her journal. Castor’s ears start ringing faintly.

Father Tobias walks up to the bed, “I don't claim to understand, but it certainly seems suspicious. He flips him over, the magical blackness that darkened his face with his hood falling away. Castor slightly recognizes him but not really.

Ivetta gasps, dropping her journal as she covers her face. She starts hysterically crying.

“Ivetta- what? You know him?” Castor asks, astonished.

“That’s my dad.”

“What? Here? I thought he-?”

Father Tobias adds, “He doesn't seem to recognize you. Although, he seems to harp a lot on how time is not how we think it is.”

Castor asks, “Not-not to be cruel Ivetta, but are you sure that it’s him?”

“Yes, that’s him but he’s younger than I remember.”

Castor pales, an expression of shock forms on her face at the realization, “Ivetta...Maybe he’s not your father... yet.” Ivetta’s breath hitches in gasp, “He's younger and he doesn't know you. It stands to reason that he could not yet be your father. Not yet have met your mother or gone to Florence.”

“That- that can’t be. He- I can’t wrap my head around this. I only just found out he’s alive.”

There’s a knock at the door, Castor tries, painfully, to get up to get it. Father Tobias puts on a hand on her shoulder and goes to answer it himself. The voice comes through the door before he arrives however. “Saint Camillus? Sir, your carriage is ready.”

Castor looks about the room, seeing no one but the four of them, she looks to Tobias questioningly, “Saint? Is he, is he talking to you Father? Isn’t impersonating a saint- isn’t that a sin? What's going on?”

“Like I said, you will soon see.”

“So where are we going?”

“St. Peter's Basilica I imagine.”

“What about the others? Ah, no, we shouldn’t move them.” The trio leaves Gerrard and Hollinzoller and head to the road.

Before they go, Ivetta leaves a note atop Hollinzoller’s journal that says “I love you dad.”

They enter the main area of the church and go through the cathedral. They are received by a cardinal who walks beside the father. Frescos and stained glass, bronze busts and full statues litter the cathedral, grand in its opulence. The fresco above shows a haloed man anointing the sickly, healing them. The same figure in the papal dress appears in the stained glass and encased in the statues. The face is very recognizable as it is the face of one, Father Tobias. Not the same Father Tobias, but quite a bit older. Ivetta and Castor scrape their jaws off the ground and continue outside to a path leading to the carriage. Guards surround the walkways, keeping the massive swells of people back. They hold their arms out toward Father Tobias saying things like, “Seek Camillus hear my plea!”

They get in the lavishly embellished carriage.

“So Father? Do I even call you that anymore?” Castor asks once she has recovered slightly from the shock.

“You tell me." He speaks with icy anger. "I just walked into a church that was built five years ago and saw my likeness strewn across it’s iconography. What did you do, Castor!?”

“I-”

He cuts her off, “This magic makes a mockery of my faith, it twists my good intentions and turns them into blasphemies!”

“I-I-I didn't do anything! I don't have the power to manipulate what happens in other realms. I didn't make this place, I only brought us here!”

Ivetta redirects, “Wait, don’t you have to be dead to be a saint?”

Father Tobias turns on her, “There's only one man who rose from the grave. I shall not be regarded as another. Half the city has already heard where I am. What am I supposed to do when the sick come to me for healing?"

“Maybe you, the you in this realm, or your likeness, maybe he learned magic and used it to help.” Castor suggests.

If it's possible, Father Tobias gets more angry, “I *have no* divine power besides what God bestows on his instruments. I cannot perform miracles. I am not a saint, Castor.”

“I didn't say you were a saint, I said you might have magic too.”

He sighs, tired, “I have not performed miracles. When I tend to those beyond saving, they die. I can bring nothing but words of comfort, words of the Lord.”

TBC

Episode Twenty: The Italian Inquisition