Chapter 229: The Brotherhood Act

Augustus looked around. His gaze lingered on Isis for a second, and seeing her head stuck in her hands, he then focused on the rest of the audience. Wiping the tears from his face, he shook with rage when he looked back down at the bodies again. He was already boiling with anger when he was first told about the massacre of the merchants, and although he had wished to delay the funeral service, he also understood Justinian’s argument that things had to move quickly whilst the people of Danmor were still in a state of wanting war.

Yet the words spoken by Isis, the raw feeling in them. Even if she had never been a slave of Cras, the emotion in her words still resonated with him as much as it did with the people. With a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked around.

“My friends.” He spoke, not letting the emotions everyone was feeling go to waste. Even if he wished for nothing more than to cry out and demand that the city march and destroy the evil of Cras, it wasn’t his job. He was a priest. Yes, he could force people to follow his will, and part of him wished to impose it, but a priest’s main job was to lead a person onto the correct path. Violence was temporary. An order could only last as long as the person had goodwill for the one who commanded them. What he needed wasn’t to order the faithful to march, but to thoroughly convince them that war was the only option to destroy the evil of Cras until it was etched into their soul so they wouldn’t stop until it was completed.

“I must ask you to look into yourself. We are the truth of the world, the ones who ensure the order and stability of the world are correct. We are ignorant, for it is the Lord’s will that directs us, yet the Lord has always been clear.” Augustus paused, looking around once more, making sure everyone’s attention was finally completely focused on him. “Can we, those blessed with the divine truth, truly allow men and women to continue to suffer? How can we, the children of those who fought for freedom all those centuries ago, meet our ancestors in the next life and tell them that, when given the chance to emulate them, we hid behind our walls? That we chose ignorance over the clear truth before us. That we, with our best chance to end the horrors of slavery in the world, decided we did not wish to.”

Augustus began to move, pacing back and forth, his voice growing louder each second. “Many of us were ignorant of the horrors outside of Danmor, willing or unwilling. But now that we have been lifted out of this ignorance. Now that the Lord has decided to test us. Is it possible for us to cover our eyes and block our ears? For me, there is only one question that can be used to answer this.” Getting to the centre of the stage, Augustus looked out at the crowd and held out both his hands, his palms facing the sky. “Wheat or the Branding Iron? We have two choices before us. Two choices that will decide the war for our souls. Two choices that will decide what type of people we are in this life. Two choices that will decide whether our ancestors and God will renounce us. Cras denied the blessing of wheat. They are only deserving to be branded now, but all those who have the chance to carry the Lord’s punishment and refuse are equally deserving.”

Augustus lowered his hands. “I do not ask all of you to fight. Some are ill, some are weak. Some are children, some are elderly. But we all have a role to play. I look upon all of you, and I see that fire that burns in my own very heart, but I see the fear that makes you terrified to fight. I will never blame you for being scared.” Raising his hands, he carefully crossed them over his heart. “For I live in fear every day. I fear war. I fear death. I fear for the future of our children.” Lowering his hands, he took a deep breath; they curled into fists by his side. “But most importantly, I fear I have not served faithfully enough. I will not preach to you all and hide in these walls. Despite my fear, I will be alongside you all. I will march to Cras with you all. I will be the first to see the horrors of their city when it falls, and I will be the first to hold my hand out and offer them a new future. Because although I am scared, I know- we all know- that those under the iron fist of Cras are more scared than us.”

Spreading his hands, a serene, jewelled smile plastered his face. “I do not call upon you to do what I will not. I implore you. I beg you. Let us not disappoint the Lord. Let us not disappoint ourselves. I thank you all, and bless those who have passed.” Lowering his hands and closing his eyes, he could hear the applause echo. Some cried and shouted in support whilst others were overwhelmed by the intensity of the cheers.

——————–

“Elias.” Stepping through the reinforced door, Elias looked around at his comrades of the Chained Brothers, happily playing small card games with one another or drinking, and walked to the few who stood around in serious discussion and called him over. Smiling, he spread his hands and walked towards David, embracing him.

“The Evangelist is truly a terrifying person. How someone can believe what they preach yet do the same sins he wishes to destroy vexes me.” Elias casually said, taking a seat.

“I pity that man. I can see a devotion in him very few have, but it is in service of an evil truth.” David shook his head and grabbed two wooden cups. Pouring a cup of mead for the two, he sighed, “Did you see the woman?”

“I followed her in after she arrived and could get the chair behind her. I couldn’t talk much because the broker was beside her, but I managed to hand off the letter you wished passed to her.” David’s face warped in disgust at the mention of Justinian but corrected itself in a matter of seconds.

“Tell me. Has she become his faithful servant or not?”

“Nah.” Elias took a deep sip of his mead and wiped the drops that rolled down his chin. “Fucking women’s terrified of him. My guess is she is like everything else that passes through that man’s hands. A toy to be used and discarded as he pleases.”

“And the Lunarian noble?”

“Not there. A few guys spotted the two yesterday, so they are still in contact, but either the Lunarian is keeping his distance from her, or the Broker is forcing it. Either way, he isn’t attached to her hip. The main issue is that the Broker seems to have people following her at all times when he isn’t around.”

“The Lunarian allows it?”

“Who knows. He probably does, because doing anything would put her in danger, not himself. Who is this guy anyway? Why are you so interested in him?” David didn’t answer straight away, taking a sip of his own drink.

“Honestly, I have no clue. I know he is the real deal in terms of Lunarian nobility, but he also claims to have been alive when the Chained Brothers were founded.”

“Fuck off. He would be over a hundred years old. He’s old, sure, but maybe sixty.”

“Listen, Elias. Everything in regard to that old man is an enigma. It’s best not to anger him. His carrying a Lunarian noble title is enough of a headache, but he’s dangerous himself.” Taking a deep breath, David waved his hand to signal the end of the conversation. “In your opinion, do you think she will accept the meeting?”

Elais thought for a moment and shook his head. “She’s terrified. It’s the type of fear that doesn’t push her away either, but makes her cling to the Broker just so she won’t suffer whatever makes her scared.”

David groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Will wait if she doesn’t come and meet us; we will have to use a heavier approach to get her to agree.”

“Is there any point in doing it this way, David?”

“The Broker is too cautious with regard to everything outside himself. But things he considers his, and he is quite arrogant. It’s why our best attempt at killing him before was when one of us disguised ourselves as a Lesser for him to buy.” David’s face warped into a deep, angered frown, his gaze full of regret. Elias saw it and leaned forward, tapping his mug against David’s.

“It wasn’t your fault what happened afterwards.”

“It got fifty-seven people killed, Elias. I know it wasn’t my fault that it failed, but I can take some blame for all those who died.”

“No one could have predicted he would kill all the Lessers he owned after she was caught.”

“It doesn’t matter. He did it anyway.” David held his mug up and took a drink. “Isis is the closest someone outside of his sphere of influence has gotten in recent years. If she can do the job for us, the house of cards can crumble with him.”

“And the Evangelist.”

“Augustus can’t die. If he does, he becomes a martyr. No, it needs to be something different to deal with him.” Elias nodded.