Episode Twenty: The Italian Inquisition

Castor closes her eyes. She sits in silence for a minute or two, concentration evident on her face. She opens her eyes and informs her friends what she diserned about this realm. “The year here is 1747. This realm is very large, lots of people and information which was a bit overwhelming. There was pain in the past but now they're healing. The culture is much like what we knew in Florence but more open, societal norms are more relaxed. Generally people are happier, grateful they live in this time. St. Camillus did something really important. His name is invoked a lot, very popular in prayer. Also I learned there were revenants but I’m not sure how long ago."

"Ha! I was right, they were here." Ivetta smiles.

Tobias drums his fingers on the crown sitting in his lap and looks over his spectacles at Castor, skepticism written on his face. "I suppose you learned all this through magical means." Castor reddens.

They realize they speak Italian but it's different, evolved. The language has changed in the 200 years they've skipped.

The carriage pulls up to the papal grounds. Medieval gates line the bottom of the hill and protect the fortress. It is evident that the positioning and armaments make it nearly impossible to assault.

Swiss guards stand about, holding halberds and wearing their distinctive puffy yellow and blue striped uniforms. A monk opens the carriage door and bids them follow. He leads them up an incredibly long spiral staircase and they end up inside the walls on top of the hill. Inside the walls is very beautiful. Lush gardens filled with exotic trees, blooming plants, running water, fountains, and statues. Robed priests and cardinals walk about the grounds. The three are led past the inner gate and taken to a very large complex-St Peter's Basilica. They walk through the square, each admiring the exquisite architecture and art. They follow the monk up the steps. Cardinals and priests stop their conversations to stare.

Inside the basilica the ceilings tower, illuminated frescoes stare down, marble glistens comprising most every surface. Alongside the art, stand multitudes of guards. One approaches the three and asks them to relinquish their weapons. Father Tobias, Castor, and Ivetta hand them over. Then they are patted down. On discovering a dagger hidden on Ivetta's person, they take it.

Satisfied they no longer pose a threat, the guards let them pass, the monk leading the way. They start walking forward. Castor takes a step and feels a blinding flash of pain from her emblem, the triangle brand emblazoned between her shoulder blades, as well as a pain across her back like a whip. It only lasts a split second. She inhales sharply, her hand flying to her neck. She massages the base of it. Father Tobias rests a hand on her shoulder. Ivetta asks, "are you okay?"

"I thought I felt…" but they're too far to say anymore. They've arrived at the far end. Rows of choir podiums ascend on two sides, already some cardinals sit there. Although their red hoods are raised, the trio can feel their eyes blazing down at them. The risers sit on either side of a desk which rests some 20 feet from the papal throne. Three wooden chairs stand before the desk. The monk gestures for them to sit. Every movement made in the vast hall stirs an echo so even the whispering of their clothes sounds like as if it were a waterfall. Castor tentatively sits. Father Tobias puts the wrapped crown on the table then sits. Ivetta perches on the edge of her seat, constantly scanning around them.

After a beat or two of whispering from the cardinals they all hear a door off to the right slam then many many feet approaching. They come into view, two lines of red cardinals all with hoods up ascend onto the risers benches. They all sit, filling the empty rows. One remains standing just to the left of the trio. He stares at the papal throne. A ding of a church bell rings, recognized by all as the bell that signals the starting of mass. Everyone stands.

Six guards block the view of his Holiness as they march in front of the pope, six more follow behind. As he sits in his throne, however, they can fully see him. He is quite young, around middle-aged. His pale face is plain contrasted by decadent jewelry adorning his clothes and hands. He looks around a moment, his eyes finally landing on the three. He sees Tobias and brings a hand to his mouth in a gasp but the reaction is fleeting. He regains his composure a moment later. The cardinal who was standing to the left goes to the side of the throne and speaks for the pope, “Who comes before Pope Leo the twelfth? Who seeks a grand audience with his holiness?" Father Tobias rises.

"I am Father Tobias, cardinal of the church." A BEEG gasp from the crowd. He presses on, "I come before the most holy to return that which is his."

The cardinal whispers to the pope who speaks back to him. The cardinal straightens, stepping down the dais and speaks for the pope.

"What is it that you bring to his eminence?"

"I bring the papal crown, though I cannot attest to its authenticity. To tell the truth I had hoped, upon arrival, to see the most holy wearing it and my concerns be dismissed."

"The papal crown has been...missing since the reign of Pope Camillus the First. How is it that you have come across this important artifact?"

"I would say chance, but the shadow of the hand of God is often found in chance. I shall call it providence." The crowd does nothing but the pope motions the cardinal over. After another exchange he says, "his eminence has decreed that we shall take this gift into our possession. If it is what you claim it to be, then we are forever in your debt." A boy comes for it and takes it out of the room.

An older cardinal without his hood up stands and says, "enough with the formality! We need to address this! There sits the spitting image of Saint Camillus himself!" Others have tried to pull him down, stopping him from speaking but failed. As the words come out, people are up in arms, shouting at each other an unseemly sight for the Vatican.

Father Tobias tries to quell them, “Please, everyone, I am perfectly willing to answer questions but in a calm manner.” People stop shouting, suddenly remembering themselves, they take their seats. The pope's speaker says, "we will have order in the presence of his holiness! Cardinal Blaze, your questions will be answered in a *dignified* manner. Father Tobias, will you kneel in the presence of the most holy?" He walks to stand before the throne then kneels. The cardinal whispers in his ear, telling him to say the prayer that vows before God that he will tell the truth. Tobias repeats the prayer. The pope is trying to get a look of him, craning his neck to see closer.

The cardinal begins, "Now is it true or is it not true that you claim to be the deceased Saint Camillus?"

Rising once more he says, "I was given the name Tobias on the day of my birth. I served in the military for a time, and I became a priest in the church later in life. But as far as I am aware, I have yet to die and yet to receive a name besides the one given to me by my mortal father.” The crowd stays silent, the pope has a curious look on his face.

"So you do not deny it?"

"I will claim ownership of the name Tobias but I have little knowledge of... as it stands now I do not know the nature of Saint Camillus.”  The looks on faces in the room betray that they do not understand fully.

The cardinal says, "Many in this room knew St. Camillus himself, it is impossible to dispute the similarity in his... physical characteristics. Yet, you do not claim to be Camillus?”

"I do not."

He communes with the pope again. After a moment collecting his thoughts and arranging words he says, “The holy church acknowledges that the Lord imparts his heavenly wisdom upon his faithful in ways that we may not fully understand. But we must acknowledge that there must be other avenues beyond the faithful for this apparition. You may sit." Father Tobias retakes his seat. "His holiness would also like to know who these companions are." He waves his hand at the two girls. Several beats of silence follow and Castor sensing he wishes someone to speak, rises, hesitant. She shuffles forward. "Kneel, girl!" The cardinal shouts at her. She genuflects with such speed both of her knees bruise on the hard tiled floor. He tells her to repeat the same prayer invoking only truths. She does. His tone is far colder than it had been with Father Tobias he barks, "What is your name?"

Shaking with nerves, Castor worries her cross in her fingers and speaks with her head bowed, "my n-name is Castor M-Macarbo your most holiness, sir." The pope smiles slightly at her skittishness.

"And how do you know Father Tobias? Where did you meet?"

"We are traveling companions, we met in Germany."

A man in the crowd says, "Germany! Don't you see this is where-” the head cardinal cuts him off demanding silence.

"How did you come to be here?"

"We were in Stralsund for a time, eventually made our way here."

He directs his attention to Ivetta, "You, girl come here." She snaps up, hurriedly walking up next to Castor, kneels, and speaks the prayer unprompted.

"What is your name?"

"Ivetta Amoroso."

"How do you know this man?"

"We met on our travels."

"Where?"

"I met Castor in Florence and we met Father Tobias in Stralsund."

"In the course of traveling with this man did you encounter any reason that this man is holy, not one of mortal men?"

Castor shakes her head, barely whispering, "No."

Ivetta says, "I believe he is mortal. I saw him wounded, bleed in battle."

Cardinal Blaze speaks out again, "are you all blind!? Can you not see? This *is* Saint Camillus!” he causes a kerfuffle and is dragged from the room by guards. He continues shouting as they do so, echoing in the cavernous room. The cardinal waits for the ghosts of his shouts to fade.

"There is another explanation, your Holiness, for all of this. You two, Castor Macabro and Ivetta Amarosso, with the sight of God upon you, has he or anyone else in his vicinity performed what could be considered miracles?" Ice fills their veins.

Feeling eyes on her, Castor speaks carefully, "Miracles of what nature?"

"Of a Godly nature. Acts of supernatural quality. That which no ordinary man might do."

"It is a difficult question…"

Irritated by her dancing around the question he shouts, "Have you or have you not?"

Ivetta pipes up, "While we were in Germany there was a terrible sickness and Father Tobias helped to cure the people of this ailment. Does that count?” audible gasps from the crowd.

Tobais stands, "despite my efforts the only cure I was able to procure for that ailment was force of arms."

"You deny that it was you who cured the affliction, the great sickness that we do not any longer live with?"

"When we left Stralsund, it was on a journey to *find* the cure. On that journey, we found the crown and ended up here."

"I will ask you Father, the same as I have asked these children. Have you, in the course of your journeys, seen that which you consider miracles?"

"I have seen miracles." Castor's heart stops.

"What is it that you have seen?"

"While in Stralsund, I came into combat with a man. I was forced to kill him several times over, despite suffering moral wounds, he would still rise again. I do not claim that this miracle was done by my hand but it is a miracle that I have witnessed. By the grace of God, I still stand here before you."

The cardinal clearly loses his temper and advances aggressively toward Tobias. "Your most holy, this man knows not of what he speaks! *That* is no miracle! Clearly this man is in contact with witchcraft! We should not believe anything these three have to say! I can smell the stench of it on them!" The crowd of cardinals is in uproar once more.

The himself pope stands, "silence!" The turmoil ceases immediately. The cardinal who spoke for him, flying to his side. The pope speaks to him. The cardinal whisper-shouts pleading, "please your holiness, I beg you…" He is silenced and the pope addresses the room.

"I have seen that these three seem to speak the truth, or at the very least display the virtues of our Lord. That which we hold most holy. I will speak with the three of them myself and make a judgement." His guard snaps to attention and he walks past the court heading to the door they came in. Ivetta, Tobias, and Castor follow him. The cardinal staring daggers at them the whole time.

Outside, they are led to the papal gardens. The pope's personal garden. Flowers from around the world display dazzling colors, each smelling more exquisite than the last. Marble statues as well as painted statues embellish the greenery. The pope has removed all fancy vestments leaving his crisp white robe and small hat. He stands on the edge of the pond staring at the reflection of the blue sky, feeding his rosary through his fingers. The guards stand in a circle about the gardens but not within earshot.

Tobias walks forward until he's a few feet away and kneels saying, “most holy I do not claim to see the pattern of our Father's providence but you must understand, I have lived my life in service to God.”

He turns around and says. “My friend, it is difficult for even myself to understand the providence of the Lord. But it is not you who should be kneeling, please, arise.”

"Most holy, my name is Tobias."

"Please stand, do not make me command it. I am not worthy." He rises. Castor crosses herself, also kneeling before him before he tells them they need not.

"I have been told of your coming. By man and God. What you said in there, was it true?” His face shifts in tone, more earnest, eager.

Tobias responds, "The journey was longer than can be summed in a few sentences."

"You are Ivetta, Castor, and Tobias?" Castor nods.

"Guard!" He calls. One comes to him and he bids him to return the weapons to the trio. "I need your help. Those men in there, the cardinals, they keep me prisoner here...by unnatural means!"

A pit grows in the stomachs of Castor and Ivetta. The sounds of choking surrounds them. All the guards have their hands at their necks trying desperately to stop whatever invisible force that is choking them. They look around for who is doing so. The cardinal who spoke for the pope stands at the side entrance of the basilica. The pope staggers back, "he's one of them! Please, help me!" He moves to hide behind a statue.

Castor says, "Holy father, I hope you do not condemn us for what we have to do to protect your life." She runs toward the cardinal and pushes him with magic just barely managing to stumble him back and break his concentration, saving two guards. The rest fall to the ground dead.

He shouts at her, "You'll die for that, bitch!"

Father Tobias shoots him with his musket, knocking him to the ground. More men pour out from the hall. The guards all have swords, they swing at the few loyal guards remaining. A mage pushes Castor back slightly. And the other charges an attack in his hands. Ivetta tries to lift him and Castor tries to push him; they jar him enough to break his concentration.

Tobias shoots a mage with two bullets ripping through his intestines but he still stands. An enemy tries to run past Castor but she trips him. Another guard attacks her when her back is turned. He swings his sword, dealing several blows then wacks her in the back of the head with the hilt. Her knees buckle, knocked senseless. The mage begins charging another attack in his hands. Ivetta runs up next to Castor's fallen form and stabs at the tripped guard with her spear; he cries out in pain. Father Tobias speed reloads his gun and deals the final blow to the very injured mage.

The mage charging his bolt unleashes it. A fiery beam blasts from between his hands. He is inexperienced so it goes all over the place. His own men scream alongside their enemies as they're cut in half. Ivetta dodges the blast but is grazed; she uses the tripped guard as a meat shield avoiding more damage. Father Tobias hits the deck but slightly too slow, he is also hit by the blast. Ivetta gets up, shoving off the now dead body of the guard. She aids the last loyal guard, Jimmy, to defeat the last enemy soldier. Father Tobias peppers the final mage with bullets, "stand down and surrender yourself to the mercy of the Lord or you will die." The mage advances still. Keeping his promise, Tobias shoots him in the shin, shattering the bone. The man  crumples, dead.

Castor regains consciousness and the pope rushes over insisting they need to leave, immediately. "We need to find Cardinal Blaze and get the papal army." They leave as fast as they can, but strangely, the Vatican is vacant. They encounter no one on the way out.

They get to Cardinal Blaze's cathedral which just so happens to be the one to which Father Tobias brought them to recover. The cardinal is very surprised to see the pope. "I haven't seen you out of the Vatican-"

"Yes yes. But we haven't the time. We need to summon the papal army." Cardinal Blaze goes to roust the army and the pope explains further. "I've been kept captive since my election about five years ago. I thank you for saving me, I am forever in your debt. At first I thought they were a small sect of cardinals but it turned out they controlled a great deal of the Vatican itself.”

“Do you know who they are?” Castor asks.

“They called themselves the Mora vos Malus."

Tobias says, "I fear the man I claim used witchcraft may be one of them."

"It's perplexing, for the time they kept me captive they spoke of their vendetta against all magic, insisting it was a demonic thing. That those who use it should die."

Sour, Castor says, "Yet they use magic themselves? The hypocrisy."

"They claimed to further the Lord's will; they can only eradicate it by using it. Some learn it, corrupting themselves in His name. Yet their search for power has corrupted their faith. If killing those who use magic was all they intend, they are perfectly capable of it even without such drastic measures." He looks to Father Tobias, "Yet I knew I was saved when I heard tell of a saintly man." His gaze shifts to Castor, "You, my dear, have been the talk of their tales. They seem to have knowledge of you, Castor Macabro. They talk of you as if you were the devil, as though you are the root of all evil. A demon incarnate." The fear on Castor's face grows. He rests a hand on her shoulder, "Yet, when I looked upon you in the Lord's temple, I saw no deceit. No evil as they had claimed. I saw only a young girl. You have nothing to fear. We will hunt those monsters down. I know who they all are, they were hardly secretive about their allies.”

"B-but if they all have these abilities how will you get them out? They will stand against you."

"I have an army far larger than their forces. As you might have seen, their knowledge and abilities of magic are limited."

"You could say the same of us."

The pope smiles, "I am forever in your debt. When the Vatican is retaken, I insist you be my guests."

Castor speaks shyly, "Holiness, we thank you. But, ah, just t-to be clear, what is your position on m-magic? What would you do to those who cannot rid my- themselves of it?"

He smiles softly, then his expression turns sorrowful. "Trust that there are things I cannot tell you. I know that the miracles you perform are in service of the Lord, that much is clear to me." He sighs, turning once more to Tobias, "Father Tobias, you were honest in your testimony?"

"I would not profane, to entertain mistruths in the house of the Lord."

"As it is written. I will let you three know a secret. A secret passed down from Peter. A journal that we turn to in times of distress. Added to and passed down from pope to pope. The reason I could trust you is because I read it. Everything that transpired was written in this book.” meeting Tobias’ eyes he says, “By you, my forbear. You are Saint Camillus or you will become Saint Camillus." Father Tobias puts his hands together and lowers his head, receiving the words of the most holy. "I can see the turmoil, in your heart, in your mind toward these two. But I know if you stay on this path, you *will* accomplish what you set out to do."

Raising himself, looking far more relaxed, Tobias says, "Thank you for your wisdom, Holiness, I will keep that in mind in our travels going forward."

"I have the book right here but I think you need to find your own paths. I know no matter what the three of you do, it will be great and it will be in service of the Lord. I am sure we will talk more but for now I must plan the retaking of the Vatican." He departs and the three head upstairs. They hear the sounds of battle through the window. It lasts a few hours.

The Vatican, now cleared of the Mora vos Malus, is able to receive the pope as well as it's guests. A grand return. Each member of the group is given a papal apartment. They are given free reign of the grounds, amenities, gifts, and guards posted at their doors.

Finally resting in one of the papal suites Castor dreams. She’s walking through the Vatican and walks down a series of stairs. There’s a door in the wall she enters and heads down the stairs stopping at the end of a long hallway. Left and right are closed cell doors and at the end one is open, light shines from within. Every step she feels a dull pain growing. Moving forward the feeling of pain presses all around her. She hears sounds: grunts, moans, cries of someone being tortured amplifying as she advances. Finally, she sees a young man, begging and crying out. He’s whimpering out the names of people in his life yet it's muffled, unclear. She can't see the people torturing him but one is a familiar, hulking figure.

They turn him over revealing his face. A face she's missed. A face that makes her blood run cold and guilt well in her stomach.

Marco Fabri.

She wakes up in a cold sweat, nightclothes clinging to her skin. Ignoring the tug of scarred skin from her wounds, she pulls on her boots, and grabs her hammer crossing the room to the door. She opens it and the guard addresses her, asking “Mistress Macabro, can I assist you?”

“I need to check something. Could you follow me?” He nods and follows. Focused on finding Marco she doesn’t think to ask for her companions’ help. She follows the dream route. The door she finds far more hidden than in her dream, merely a small hook for a handle. She and the guard head down the stairs. Walking warily through the darkened bowels of the Vatican.

Almost all the doors to the cells stand open. She searches each cell carefully just to be sure. At the far end of the room she finds a figure wrapped in shadow lying in the cell. She asks the guard to raise the light.

The torch lights on a young woman gagged and tied up, strikingly beautiful and ebony haired. She’s unhurt as far as Castor can tell but unconscious. Castor tells the guard to go get help. He runs off to do so. Castor kneels beside the girl and starts to untie her bindings. The door slams, locking her in the cell. Her head whips around but sees no one. From the darkened corner of the room hears a chuckle. “I knew you’d come, little Castor.”

Fear grips her heart. Her gaze snaps left. She sees him. His metal mask glints in the torchlight, chains clinking as he moves. Terrified, Castor feels a rush of energy well up- the feeling she gets right before her achar activates but—nothing happens.

He laughs again, louder this time. She reaches for her fallen hammer but her hand is easily knocked away with a flick of his wrist. She backs away but there’s nothing she can do. Too late she realizes her mistakes, still injured and weary from the battle several hours ago she is too weak to resist. The largest mistep that she didn't ask the aid of her friends. The silver hammer meets her temple and she slumps. He binds her and slings both girls over his shoulder. He leaves Castor's fallen weapon, a momento for her friends to find. He chuckles again, although it falls on deaf ears. He turns and disappears into the dark.

TBC

Episode Twenty-One: Finale