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“To Lucifer, the savior, he who has cleansed us of all our filthiness and brought us to the limelight, continue to strengthen our path and bend our will to yours” The cloaked men recited ‘the solemn prayer of the counsel’ around the fire, the black smoke rolled and disappeared into the bitter air as it consumed the log of woods, they sat around the fire under the starless night sky, in the open space outside of a decrepit and fallen Cathedral.
Charles Binnins watched from a dwarf bell tower at a distance, their voices were carried by the soft blowing wind; they were twenty one in total including Robert Murray. It has been three days since he shadowed them to Santa Fe, three days they have searched in vain for the Christian camp, they had tortured residents, and combed most parts of the city with the help of a few local Brotherhood soldiers that they found in the city, they brought along a tracker bird who was still roaming the gloom of the city, looking for any clue about the Christian camp and yet the very location had evaded them. Robert had boasted of finishing the mission in mere days back at Annapolis, but here he sat helpless with his comrades around a fire, telling tales of his exploits and might, Charles Binnins watched on as he started another tale for the umpteenth time.
“They said Hogan was a brave soldier, they sang of his ruthlessness, but you all know nothing about bravery, you’ve never seen true bravery, I will tell you what true bravery is. In just two weeks after my initiation into The Brotherhood, I was assigned to a regiment, and immediately we were given a most dangerous mission. A rebel group atop the mountains of Colorado, it was our mission to cleanse the filths, I was so young, too young to be on a mission with such magnitude, but that didn’t deter me, that didn’t make me cower in fear…” Robert stood theatrically. “The entire place was quiet, the full moon shone overhead, the eight of us tiptoed through the broken and unhinged gates, the ground was sticky and muddy, I could smell their filth in the air, their rotten disgusting filth! We walked on and an arrow flew in from nowhere in particular, wham! Into the eyes of my commander, he slumped to the ground, dead before it even started, then there was the roar, the rebels burst forth from their hidden places, from under the hays, from inside the wells, from shallow pits, their numbers were great, they outnumbered us five to one, and they weren’t just many, they were armed with sophisticated weapons, we were down to seven, just seven to face the angry armed multitude of rebels. ‘Retreat! Retreat!’ my comrades shouted, they turned and began to flee towards the broken and unhinged gate, but there I was, a young boy who should be scared, a young boy with a virgin sword, I should have pissed my pants but no I didn’t, I drew my sword out of the scabbard…” he theatrically drew his sword. “…I stood my ground, I looked into the eyes of the rebels defiantly, their filthy faces snarled at me, but I did not flinch, they stomped their feet on the ground and still I did not flinch, then they started their advance in their numbers and yet I did not flinch! I stood my ground and held my sword aloft, my comrades seeing my sheer bravery turned around and rejoined me, they were inspired by me. I cracked skulls, I punctured stomachs, I separated heads from shoulders, I fought against the odds, and I cleansed them all! They were nothing but mere pests, what is a multitude in the midst of bravery? You won’t hear these tales at the base, all you would hear of is the wimp called Hogan, but thank Lucifer you have seen his cowardice, you have seen how weak of a man he is, you can see who deserves the highest level of respect in The Brotherhood, the one who deserves all of your praises, all of your respect, hail Lucifer!” He chanted.
“Hail Lucifer! Hail Baphomet!” his comrades answered in unison.
“Hail Lucifer! Hail Baphomet!” Robert chanted again.
“Hail Lucifer! Hail Baphomet!” His comrades replied, standing on their feet.
Charles rested his head on his travelling back pack, tearing his attention away from the chanting men, he looked up at the rusty old bell, hanging in the dwarf bell tower, he seriously questioned the self elevating tale of Robert but then again, it was Robert Murray, what else will he do aside boast of his exploits and soil Hogan’s name. Hogan, Charles thought about a new possibility, very distinct from all the speculations and hypothesis, what if Hogan did not just desert? What if he had been brainwashed to becoming one of them, he was in a fragile state of mind before going on the mission, what if the Christians took advantage of that? The very idea sent shivers down his spine but a greater dilemma would be Hogan defending the Christians, would he be willing to go up against his friend? Perhaps not thinking about it at all is best. Charles shrugged off the thought and soon his eyes closed in a slumber.
***
A wail jerked him awake, he peered down from the dwarf bell tower to see the commotion below, the tracker bird had returned and another individual was new in their midst, a woman in a decrepit dress, tattered around the hem and dirty as the ground itself, one of her eye socket was black and empty, her wail continued;
“He is coming for us all! He is coming for us all!”, she rocked on the dusty ground.
“She has some information that could prove useful, I found her on a lonely street” the tracker bird said.
Robert crouched low and assessed the woman, “this woman is not right in the head, and how could she possibly have any information?” Robert asked.
The tracker bird landed a kick square on at her rib section, she shrieked and howled in pain, her hands trembled greatly and she proceeded to talk between wheezes.
“I… I… saw him, h… huge and tall, black hair and… and a… a black mask… around his face” she managed to say before breaking down in sobs.
“How is this information important?” Robert looked at the tracker bird with scorn.
“There are several witnesses who report seeing a man in a black handkerchief mask arriving at Santa Fe days ago” The bird replied.
Robert rose on his feet and turned to his comrades, “Huge, tall, black hair, who would want to hide his face in such way?”, his eyes lit up as realization set in, “Hogan! Hogan left the base with a mask on his face!” he stooped low to the woman’s level again and roughly pulled her hair, “do you know where he went?”
She nodded yes.
“Show us the way! Bird, get her up! It seems like Lucifer will yet deliver the traitor Hogan into our hands.
Cahrles Binnins looked on in shock, could it really be Hogan? Despite the very like description by the hysterical woman, part of him silently wished it wasn’t, a side of him panicked and he did not know why, he came here to find out the truth about Hogan and that was it, but he couldn’t help feeling that something extra had pushed him here.
***
The cloaked men and the bird stood in front of the detached house, the hysterical woman had pointedly identified the building as the destination of ‘the man in the mask’, the sound of chirping birds filled the air as he first light of the new day shone on the horizon.
“Hogan!” Robert shouted, several birds took flight from the abandoned houses, there was no response, the front door of the detached house remained shut.
“Hogan!” Robert shouted again.
The front door opened a gap and the cloaked men drew their swords in anticipation, soon it was opened ajar and a slim man with a brown cap, a grey jacket and worn looking trousers walked out with a rifle in his hands. He took scrupulous steps towards the fence and the soldiers, training his riffle specifically at Robert.
“Where is Hogan Willmort?” Robert asked, clearly unperturbed by the rare sight of a gun.
“There is no Hogan Willmort here” said the man with a gun.
“You dare threaten a soldier of The Brotherhood with…” one of the regiment soldiers started but Robert silenced him with the raise of a hand.
“What is your name?” Robert asked with a low wicked voice.
“What does my name have to do with this?” The man replied with a question of his own.
“Ah, but the first step to a healthy conversation is proper facilities, I would like to think you don’t know who we are, hence your unwise approach to this meeting, my name is Robert Murray, I’m sure you must have heard the name” Robert said.
“I know who you are alright!”
“Tell me, are you a devote Cipher?” Robert asked with a clear and noticeable change in his tone.
The man with a riffle remained silent.
“You do know what will happen to non-CIfers don’t you? Could you please recite ‘the solemn prayer of the counsel’?” Robert asked.
He remained silent still.
The soldiers made an attempt to advance forward but again Robert Murray halted them with the raise of a hand. “Before we move on to such matters, my original question still stands, where is Hogan Willmort?” Robert asked again.
“Like I said before, there is no Hogan Willmort here” the man finally found his voice again.
“Comrades, search the house” Robert commanded.
“No! Stay back!” the man exclaimed. Clearly panicked, he trained his gun at several of the soldiers, helpless as they tore down the fence and walked past him and through the front doors of the detached house. His hands fidgeted around the gun, his earlier composed demeanor disappeared with a puff. Robert walked over the fallen fence and towards the fidgeting man; he dragged the tip of his sword on the ground.
“Now, let’s try again” Robert said as clangs and crashed sounded in the house. “What is your name?” he asked coolly.
“I… Isaac” the visibly rattled man stammered.
“Isaac, that suspiciously sounds like a Christian name” Robert said, he put his hand around the barrels of the gun and yanked it away from Isaac, tossing it several meters away, “Where is Hogan WIllmort?” Robert asked this time in a cold blank voice.
“He is no longer here” Isaac replied. Shrieks and cries could now be heard from within the detached house. “Please, please don’t hurt them” Isaac broke down in tears.
“Shh… shh” Robert shushed him; he used the tip of his sword to remove his cap.
The soldiers piled out of the detached house restraining several kicking and crying children.
“Where did Hogan go?” Robert continued his questioning.
Isaac trembled, confliction clearly evident on his face.
“Kill one” Robert commanded a soldier.
“Wait! Wait! I will tell you, I will tell you, just spare the children” Isaac pleaded.
“Then speak, I haven’t got all day”
“He… he… he’s at the Christian camp”
“Where is that?”
Isaac burst into louder sobs, “Ten clicks west from here, hidden within a scrap yard”
“Now was that so hard? How is he by the way, Hogan? I guess he has been brainwashed by your kind, was it you? Did you convert him?” Robert asked.
Isaac shook his head; visible tears ran down his cheeks.
“Take the children to the cathedral, I’m sure we can find use for one or two of them in service of our lord Lucifer, we’ll have to kill the rest”.
The soldiers dragged the screaming children away from the house leaving Robert and a frightened Isaac, who went on his knees on his own accord.
“Father, into your hand I commit my souls, save the children, cover them with your grace and have mercy on me.” Isaac said with closed eyes.
Robert looked around bemused, “Who are you talking to?” he asked.
“The one who will punish all your iniquities” said a suddenly defiant Isaac, he rushed to his feet and charged at Robert who easily sidestepped and slash the throat of the advancing Isaac with a nimble swing of his sword. Isaac gurgled with his hands around the gushing wound on his neck, his stare emptied and he fell to his knees before thumping face first to the ground.
Charles Binnins abandoned his hiding spot and fled with a clear motive in his head.
‘Get to the encampment before Robert’.
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