#14.
Apprentice, Kybald
Leomann, of the Guild of Shamian had it on good authority the king’s consort
was now even more of an abomination than they had originally thought. According to
his informant, Masa who resided within the royal household itself, Consort
Brayden Macallister was now carrying a child. How that was even possible he did
not know, but he knew without a doubt it was his sacred duty to inform the guild
of this new piece of information. When he’d first been told he hadn’t believed
it until he done his own investigation and over hear the healers speaking in
hushed whispers.
Kybald had been so
busy recruiting new members into the guild that at first he’d almost missed
what the informant had been telling him. Apparently she’d been trying to get in
touch with him for days, and as busy as he was he’d put her off, thinking new
members were more important than some idle gossip. Guild Master Cristos would
indeed be salivating over this news. If he could get his hands on one of the abominations
then maybe they could experiment and find a way to complete eradicate the world
of their existence—which in the guild’s view would be a good thing, and Kybald
agreed with them whole heartedly.
The libraries of
the guild were filled with everything one could want to know about the ancient
ones. Generation after generation of guild members added everything they have
ever found out about the hated breed of halflings, because they were half man—half
beast. But to have something actually confirmed as truth was almost as exciting
as it was disgusting. The sooner they put an end to the abominations in the
form of Prince Javier and Consort Brayden, the sooner they could force King
Quinlan to conform to the ways that should have always been. The guild should
have taken over as rulers after King Rothwell had succumbed to the poison they
had so carefully given him. Master Cristos had had the perfect bride for
Quinlan picked out, but he had to go and ruin it by choosing Brayden Caldwell to
rule at his side. If Master Cristos had known King Quinlan’s tastes ran in that
direction he would have had a contingency plan in place. Instead Quinlan had
blindsided them by choosing Brayden. Honestly, if Ormond had done what he was
supposed to then none of this would be happening now. According to Master
Cristos neither man deserved the titles given them. Master Cristos had informed
the members of the guild that from now on they were just to think of them as
Quinlan and Brayden, because sooner than anyone thought the two men were going
to be replaced by people of the guilds choosing.
Kybald stopped at
the side door of the stone structure, which contained the guild headquarters.
He let his gaze drift around the near empty street making sure no one had followed
him. Master Cristos would never forgive him or anyone else if they had let
someone follow them to this secret guild sanctuary. The motto of the guild had
always been: If no one except members knew the guild existed, then no one would
be able to shut them down. Master Cristos had spent many generations setting up
this house of rightness. His family had been among those who had hunted and
destroyed the last generation of ancient ones. Through the teaching of Master
Cristos a whole new generation of guild members were being prepared to cull all
abominations from the known world. Master Cristos had informed them there were
more abominations in the world then just the ancient ones at the castle, and it
was their duty as guild members to put an end to them all. As guild members
they had a sworn duty to kill anything that did not fall into the perimeters of
what the guild deemed right. It was an honour to be chosen to become a guild
member, even if it did mean all members must forsake their families. The guild
was now the only family they needed. Nothing else mattered besides the guild.
“Kybald,” Master
Cristos asked as Kybald entered the sanctuary and knelt before the man. In a
show of respect he leant forward and touched his forehead to the Master Cristos’s
feet. “What brings you here and away from your duty?”
“I have important news,
Master Cristos.” Kybald trembled in anticipation. He knew with the telling he
would be elevated to the next rung on the Apprentice ladder. Master Cristos always rewarded the ones who
pleased him the most or showed they had the guild’s best interest at heart.
“I’m listening.” Master
Cristos waved his hand gesturing that Kybald should rise from his prone
position.
Kybald knew without
a doubt that he was one of better recruits. He was loyal, and never questioned
when given an order, which was why he knew he wasn’t going to be punished for
abandoning his post. He knew what he had to tell his Master was going to shock
the man right down to his handmade leather boots.
“My source within
the inner workings of the castle has informed me Consort Brayden is with
child.” Kybald was the one who was shocked. He wasn’t able to duck fast enough
as Master Cristos’s hand slapped him with enough force to knock him back to his
knees. Kybald tasted blood as he slowly rose back up into standing position.
“What have I told
you about giving those abominations the formality of a title they do not
deserve?” The man snapped in anger.
“I’m sorry,” Kybald
said in shame, “It won’t happen again. I was at the castle, there it is prudent
to remain unseen so using their titles is a way to blend in and not bring
attention to one’s self.”
Master Cristos
rolled his eyes, and Kybald knew it was in annoyance. “What did your informant
tell you? I want every detail.”
“The healers have confirmed
Brayden is carrying Quinlan’s child. I also went into the castle and confirmed
what my informant had told me. If all our gathered information is true than the
child will be born in five more months.” Kybald said after he did a quick
calculation in his head. It was rumoured the ancient ones only had a gestations
period of six months—that in itself was a sure sign of a freak.
Master Cristos
began pacing around the confines of the room as he did when deep in thought. Kybald
assumed the man was coming to realise things were becoming more complicated. He
wanted to ask if the guild would have to move up their plans, but was afraid of
Master Cristos’s reaction. Kybald wondered how long it would take for Master
Cristos to tell him they would need to be in possession of Brayden before he
gave birth to the next generation of ancient ones. Master Cristos had always
preached how the needed to stop the re-insurgence of those evil creatures
before they were allowed to breed and take over the known world. Also Kybald
knew if Brayden was allowed to complete the carrying it would give others the belief
these creatures were welcome among the true people of this existence. And as
far as the Master Cristos and the rest f the guild were concerned—they were
not.
Kybald knew that
aster Cristos was a great man who had the best interest of the people of
Panthea at heart. The man had given more than one sermon on how too many of the
pure people had died because these creatures thought they had the right to
exist, and live among the many. It was people like Master Cristos’s ancestors who
took matters into their own hands and began ridding the populace of all of
those abominations so long ago. Even after they had been eradicated new and
even more twisted creatures came into being. It was the reason the guild was
now once again building up its forces. According to Master Cristos there was
going to be another war coming, and this time mot one of those deemed unfit to
exist would make it through alive.
This time they all
would die.
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