The High Priestess had just finished giving her report on the full extent of the failure in the Ritual of Branding. She kept her face resolute, but inside she felt a nagging doubt. Almost a fear, really. This fear was of her great master, Lord Malus. He sat on his throne, staring down at her with those pinpricks of cold blue light instead of the eyes he should have had. His decrepit face did not so much as twitch as she told him of the near complete failure. The only thing that kept her nagging doubt from flaring into a full blaze of terror was remembering that Malus needed her. So far, the High Priestess was his only direct contact to Ceridwen. As far as she knew. There was that nagging doubt again. She also desparately hoped that Kannas words to her and the glory the Lady of Pain had promised would do much to soothe her masters ire. Lord Malus chin raised slightly, bringing the High Priestess out of her reverie. She focused her complete attention to the present, awaiting her masters words.
He spoke softly. It sounded deadlier than a vipers hiss, You gravely disappoint me, High Priestess of House Hirch. You lied to me. His words fanned the High Priestess doubt into full blown terror. She did lie to him. She now had a very good reason to be afraid.
I-I-Im sorry, my lord. I felt it was in the b-b-best interest of the ritual. The Labyrinth was f-following us, and I-I reasoned the less who knew about it
the better. She regretted every action that led to her having to say those words. She shuddered. Her body needed an outlet for all of her fear. Lord Malus slowly outstretched his decaying hand from his voluminous royal robes. He made a grasping gesture in the direction of the High Priestess. Suddenly she felt a giant invisible hand closing around her, crushing her as it raised her into the air. She screamed. The invisible hands grip only grew tighter. The High Priestess could no longer breathe. Darkness was forming around the edges of her vision. The invisible hand now an invisible fist clenched even tighter. Just as the darkness was overtaking her she had one final, terrible thought, Im going to hell. Then the invisible fist ceased to exist and she fell to the floor on all fours, gasping for air. Between her sputtering coughs, Lord Malus recited a passage from the Gospel of Madoc:
Blessed is he who worships the Stern Lady with truthfulness on his lips and honesty in his heart. For betrayers of the golden truth will always be exposed, and ruin will come from on high to the liars and deceivers of the faithful. Blessed is he who accepts this teaching as truth. Blessed is he who holds true to his purpose.
The Dread Emperor stood. He closed the distance menacingly between himself and the gasping woman on the floor. Malus said, And your purpose, High Priestess, is to tell me all I need to know regarding the worship of our great goddess. Every, Lord Malus flung his hand in the air and the High Priestess was flung onto her back. last, he raised his hand up and the priestess was upright on her knees. Lord Malus bent low, his rotting face inches from hers as he whispered, detail. Violently Lord Malus waved towards the far wall and the High Priestess flew through air crashing into it, tangled in the tapestries.
He walked over to her, noticing she hadnt passed out due to her injuries. Good, you are still conscious. Remember these great words of your glorious ruler. If you fail again, it may be the last time you ever have the pleasure of hearing them. Find me every single noble who betrayed me. Flay them alive, and feed their remains to my experiment in the dungeon. Then, every member belonging to a traitors house is to be rounded up and publicly sacrificed in the upcoming ritual. Pray that all goes as planned. Lord Malus left his throne room to attend to other matters of state. The High Priestess, still tangled in the tapestries, let out a moan. She swore an oath to the Lady of Pain that she would not fail her master again. The High Priestess did not want to die, and she knew if she served her master well he would eventually teach her the secrets of immortality. These orders would be carried out with a zeal she had never before possessed. But first she had to stand up.