[The Grand Cathedral of the Earth God]
"What happened, Raymond?" she whispered. "In the Sanctum. The ritual."
Raymond stiffened. The memory of the messenger's frantic report the panicked, incoherent babbling about an unfathomable, crushing presence and eyes in the dark water, flashed through his mind.
"The Grand ritual went wrong," Raymond said. He kept his voice entirely flat, presenting a wall of stone that allowed no room for further questions.
Benedict's hands tightened on the edge of the marble table. She swallowed a breath, her eyes widening slightly in the dim light. She didn't ask how.
In the Theocracy, when a Grand ritual failed, you didn't ask for details. You simply prayed the arcane backlash didn't consume the souls of the casters.
"I see," she said quietly.
"We have a council," Raymond said, stepping back and gesturing to his aides, who were sealing the iron document cases.
"Urgent. Compressed. Once the final tactical tasks are complete, we meet in the Grand Chamber. We need to finalize the arcane seals on the southwestern tunnels. Once the chosen people are deep enough, we lock the door from this side permanently."
"Yes," Benedict nodded. She reached into her wide sleeve and pulled out a small, silver lighter a ceremonial ritual flame. She flicked it on. The tiny, perfect spark of fire illuminated the harsh lines of her face. She stared at it for a second, centering her faith, remembering the warmth of her God. She snapped it shut.
"I will be there," she said.
She turned and walked out, her crimson robes swirling behind her. She looked smaller than usual against the massive, empty architecture of the cathedral, Raymond thought.
We all do. We are just mortals trying to hold back the tide.
Raymond stood in silence for another ten minutes. Around him, his scribes finished their grim work.
"Eminence," one of the high priests whispered, holding a bundled stack of holy texts tightly to his chest.
"The reliquaries are empty. The Cathedral is stripped."
"Then we are finished here," Raymond replied.
The sound of heavy, hurried boots scuffing against the stone announced the arrival.
A Commander of the Temple Guard marched into the sacristy. He was breathless, his ornate helmet tucked under his arm, a thick line of sweat cutting through the gray dust on his forehead. Behind him, a squad of elite guards fell into a defensive line, brief nods exchanged with the remaining priests and the scripture operatives acting as Raymond's honor guard.
.
"Eminence," the Commander gasped, dropping to one knee in a hasty salute. "Grand Marshal Beren sent me. I am to escort you."
"To the meeting?" Raymond asked, picking up his heavy staff of office.
"To the Grand Chamber, yes," the Commander said, rising to his feet. His eyes darted nervously toward the stained-glass windows, though they showed only darkness and the sickly reflection of green light.
"And then directly to the tunnel defense. We are fortifying the final approach. The viridian fog has breached the Inner Wall."
A heavy silence fell over the gathered aides. The Inner Wall was the final barrier before the central administrative hub and the cathedrals.
"How much time do we have?" Raymond asked.
"An hour. Perhaps less," the Commander admitted grimly.
"The Firestorm operatives blew the main aqueduct to flood the plaza and slow the skeletal vanguard, but the enemy magic casters are simply freezing the water and marching over it. The Grand Marshal is preparing a final, localized defensive line at the Grand Staircase."
Raymond nodded slowly. He looked around the empty nave of the Earth Cathedral one last time. The majestic banners of the Gods were gone. The golden relics were packed and moving underground. The pews were empty. It was no longer a house of the divine. It was just a hollow building of cold stone, waiting to be crushed.
"Let's go," Raymond said.
He collected his retinue, the high priests clutching their remaining scrolls, his aides hauling the iron document cases, and the few remaining members of the scriptures who were acting as his personal guard. They formed a tight, disciplined formation around the Cardinal.
They filed out of the sacristy, moving briskly toward the reinforced corridor that connected the cathedrals to the central administrative hub.
The echo of their footsteps on the ancient stone was loud in the suffocating silence.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Behind them, the massive, iron-bound doors of the Earth Cathedral groaned shut. The heavy locking mechanisms slid into place with a final, resonant thud, sealing the empty dark inside.
--------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading! The next 15 chapters (+10 bonus!), on Patreon. Plus, you'll get exclusive visuals to go with each chapter!
patreon.com/cw/Horizon2burns