Apostles of Doom

It was very difficult to get an accurate count of the bewildering number of Unlife arrayed before him, both on the ground and in the sky. But if the keep had nearly a quarter of a million people holed up in the bowels of this fortress-city, then there had to be nearly the same number of Unlife on the field and in the air. These were mind-boggling numbers. How did one defeat an army that size? How did one raise an army of that size? How many necromancers did they have?

Talarius shook his head. He had feared that a battle in Nysegard would not be enough to take his mind off his internal turmoil. The ridiculously insane battle before them could actually work. It would, however, have been better if that infernal — hah! — archon of Tiernon, Beragamos Antidellas, had not essentially confirmed everything the demon and his god friends had told him.

Talarius felt his fury returning. His entire life had been predicated upon a lie! The sacred Church and Rod had committed atrocities beyond imagination. Hypocrisy was not a strong enough word for the self-delusion of his Church. Beragamos, while not admitting that Tiernon and Orcus were stepbrothers, admitted that they had worked together as allies. Even Orcus’s right-hand man — or D’Orc, Darg-Krallnom, knew Beragamos.

He had never been so grateful to be in his plate armor. Its rigidity had only barely been able to keep him upright during these revelations. He closed his eyes, breathing in the late-afternoon air, trying to clear his mind. How could the Church have committed these atrocities? Not only upon the worshipers of the Nyjyr Ennead, but upon the forces of their ally, Tiernon’s stepbrother? How could his god, Tiernon, ignore the perfidy of this Sentir Fallon?

Ruiden spoke in his mind. Humans, and apparently deities are often oblivious to their own sins.

Talarius chuckled. I don’t believe a human could be as blind as Tiernon, he replied.

Well, I hate to point it out, but you were walking around with a soul-sucking dagger. Pretty sure that was also against Church doctrine and policy.

Talarius’s eyes went wide. Ruiden was absolutely correct! I did not know at the time it was an Unlife dagger!

Nor, admittedly, did I, Ruiden said. I am actually surprised that I was never able to sense the Unlife in it. All I felt was Tiernon’s magic and aura.

So what I did, I did unknowingly, Talarius responded.

However, if you think back to the times you used it, there were, in retrospect, some signs, Ruiden said thoughtfully.

Talarius shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth to block out such thoughts, memories that perhaps should have given him pause, should have allowed him to see what was going on. But he had been blind to them; at the time he didn’t see the signs. Now, in hindsight, it should have been obvious. Even as he’d been blind to his own lack of honor in fighting Tom.

His lack of honor in dealing with Melissance! Oh, gods! How could I possibly have thought Melissance had chosen Unlife? Talarius suddenly realized in horror. She had insisted on her innocence, but for whatever reason — reasoning that now, today, seemed completely insane — he and his fellow knights had turned their back on her and her flock! He fell to his knees with a crash, resting his head on the backs of his hands as he grasped the stone balustrade of the balcony.

I was so blind. So stupid! How could I have been so unknowing? Talarius cried to Ruiden.

Perhaps Tiernon did what he did unknowingly? Ruiden suggested.Perhaps he suspected Sentir Fallon, someone he has to have known for thousands upon thousands of years, but could never prove it? Perhaps the same things that blinded you to your own failings blinded Tiernon to Sentir Fallon’s.