Chapter 1: 1 – Accidia

-Sir, can we stand still here? -

Timoty, shivering from the cold under his black tunic and hood, turned to the man in front of him.

That person was also wearing a black tunic and hood, the only symbol that distinguished him from Timoty was a red and gold embroidery that went up his right arm to his shoulder.

Puffs of steam came out of his mouth and nose as he gasped for breath, waiting patiently for his lord to say something.

It was winter, the temperature had dropped rapidly, and standing there still on the hill, one could sense the approach of night.

They had been standing still in the same position since morning.

Timothy knew that as long as his lord did not hint at retreating, he could not move away, whatever happened he could not move.

Time passed, not knowing whether to ask again and thus interrupt the thread of thoughts of the figure standing still before him, he continued to stand still.

His hands were beginning to go numb; he brought them to his mouth so he could warm them a little. He tried to move as little as possible to avoid annoying the gentleman.

Time passed and finally the figure in front of him moved.

The moment he turned he looked at him in his cold state with indifference.

-We can move away. Take the horses. We'll be back in the morning. -

So saying she went back again to scan the valley.

Timoty immediately moved. He went down the hill and fetched two horses that were standing nearby, then quickly approached the man again.

-My lord, anytime. -

The man after a few moments turned around, took the bridle from the boy's hand and got on the horse, without even looking at the trembling Timoty set off at a trot leaving behind the spectacle he had been admiring for the day.

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As the two rode away, a few feet away from behind some bushes two figures wrapped in heavy dirty gray robes and with black bandages in front of their eyes came out into the open.

They had their blindfolded faces turned toward the receding hooded figures, a few moments later they gave each other an assenting expression and then turned running toward the horses left in a small depression not far away.

What was special about the two people was not the clothing or the great agility they displayed nor even the athletic and muscular physicality, no, in a world full of war-trained men and women they would have gone unnoticed even if they were good-looking.

What would have caught anyone's attention was their ability to move naturally despite being blindfolded. And indeed the visibility of the two was almost zero, the world they perceived was a mixture of shadows and grays, yet they moved in it like fish in the sea.

Reaching the horses quickly they climbed onto them and shaking the reins set off at a gallop.

After half an hour they arrived near a small dwelling in the midst of evergreen trees. It had a red-tiled roof with a small chimney from which a faint gray smoke came out, walls plastered white with small creepers and a pair of windows with flower pots resting on the shelves and a beautiful manicured flower garden in the front. The whole was framed by a white fence that embraced the house and garden amalgamating everything into a fairy-tale appearance.

In that barren land this little house appeared like a mirage in a desert that would have warmed the hearts of any passerby, were it not for the corpses piled beyond the fence.

A man, a woman and two children had been piled with ease over the white railing while from their battered and tortured bodies a cascade of blood created a small ruby-red pond that shone in the light of the last rays of the sun.

The two men without even looking at the peculiar spectacle around them walked past entering the small garden, knocked on the door, and a few moments later entered.

Just past the entrance a warm and sweet voice enveloped them making them tremble. They knelt down as soon as they heard it and welcomed with every smallest fragment of their being those melodious words.

In the small dining room on an upholstered chair sat a hooded woman. In front was a small table with a steaming cup of tea and a few pastries in a silver saucer. Small cascades of curly, auburn hair could be seen from the hood. The only distinguishing feature of the dress she wore was the red and gold embroidery on her right arm.

Standing behind her were two other men standing still and rigidly posed. They wore silver mesh armor long to below the waist over a black tunic, a leather belt with swords and small daggers hanging from it, black leather pants, gloves and boots, and a bowl helmet with a black feather. They also wore bands of black cloth over their eyes.

-My dears, have you returned? I guess that foolish peasant has finished his preparations...-

A simple crystalline laughter followed these words, and the room was filled with even more light.

-Ahhh what a nuisance to be holed up in this miserable house waiting for the convenience of that miserable count, if he had moved earlier we would have finished everything already and I would have left to go to the master...-

As soon as she mentioned that person her cheeks blushed with embarrassment like a little girl in love.

-All right, prepare my room for the night. Tomorrow we're going to visit that idiot redneck farmer. Then I'll be able to go to the master's---.

The two guards behind her made a brief bow and walked to an adjoining room.

After quietly sipping her tea and spending some time relaxing, she got up from the chair where she was sitting and began to move toward that room as well. The two men who had entered earlier had positioned themselves on either side of the door on guard. Before entering it she turned toward the two people still standing motionless on their knees.

-As always as soon as we leave you will burn everything. For those dirty things outside...do what you will but move them away. They stink and the smell bothers me. -

With a disgusted face he opened the door to the room and entered.

The two men looked at each other for a moment and then obediently left the house to move the bodies.

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It was late at night when Timoty and his lord arrived at the lodge where they momentarily resided.

The man dismounted from his horse and threw the reins at Timoty without even looking at him, then disinterestedly walked to the wooden building and entered it.

Four rotten wooden walls and a roof full of holes. No one would spare a second glance at such a place. Shelter for rats and outcasts, but for a few days it might do as a gathering place.

The man entered the room and approached the fireplace. A table, a chair and nothing more furnished the dusty, rotting space. There were five other people in the room, all wearing black robes and black hoods. None of them profiled a word as they waited for their master to give orders.

Time passed silently until the man turned and reached for his chair.

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After sitting down he looked up and turned to what was the tallest figure in the group.

-They were spying on us. -

The hooded man after a few moments of hesitation, as if taking an eternity to understand the words, replied in a low, cold tone.

-Was that someone from the camps, sir? -

-No. I think it was the slimy children of that bitch Alexandra. I recognized them by the stench of flowers mixed with blood. -

-Do you think she will intervene in your plans again? -

-Do you think the Count intervened on his own initiative? That bitch must have played some of her usual tricks and for the umpteenth time meddled in my plans. -

Having said this for a moment a thread of disgust appeared on her face.

Silence fell again in the room as the man drummed his fingers on the table.

-Prepare for departure. I guess tomorrow the plan can be concluded early. -

The tall man hesitated for a moment before asking something.

-My lord ... we should have arrived ... -

Before he could finish speaking his master with a loud bang slammed his arm on the table smashing it.

-Do you think I don't know? Now it's all over again before the deadline because of that bitch. Get everyone together. Tomorrow I will visit the camp for the last time then we will leave for the next region. -

So saying, he stood up and walked toward the door.

The five men bowed stiffly to his words as he left.

Outside Timoty had just taken the horses out back by tying them to a post and was on his way back when he saw his master coming out of the building.

He realized the mood was not the best and stopped stiffly.

The man walked on thoughtlessly until he noticed the boy for the first time that day.

-Remind me your name. -

Timoty was stunned at those words, he was sure he had introduced himself in the morning when he first took service, but he actually did not consider himself so important for his master to remember him.

-I -my name is Timoty. Timoty Odeli my lord. -

The man looked at him indifferently before continuing to speak to him.

-You have not yet been baptized. -

-No my lord. Apostle Kolen only branded me two months ago, then last week instructed me in the basics I needed to know in order to attend you properly. -

Timoty was proud of the opportunity the apostle had given him. Of all the boys chosen and marked he had been given the mission to serve as a valet to one of the Sins. If he proved himself capable he could have received baptism and joined the effective ranks of the militia.

It will seem absurd to anyone who hears this to think that a 12-year-old boy would want to enlist and fight in the pay of heretics. But one who has lived through the horrors of starvation and war and seen every one of his family members around him die one by one would pour out his whole self to the first hand that reached out to him in rescue.

Like him so many other boys, orphans mostly, were taken from the slums of the cities and brought to the reeducational facilities of the House of Sin.

Timoty had heard that almost all Sins had similar facilities where they raised young men and then enlisted them in their ranks. It seemed to him to hear once from some elders that only Gola had no subordinates or even apostles.

The structures of the houses of Sin were different since they had different roles and ways of acting among themselves.

Accidia was the lord of Sin, leading his house.

Under him were 12 apostles, 1 was in charge of the houses while the other 11 followed Accidia in the field or carried out missions under his request.

The house of Accidia was the armed arm of the heresy. It had an armed force of 6,000 militiamen divided into 12 groups. Each apostle led 500 men on missions. Besides the militiamen there were scouts and informers in many regions and cities although these jobs were mostly filled by the other houses.

Timoty did not actually know what all the other Sins were responsible for, in fact in these months only once had he seen a member of another house, he happened to see a man of Pride talking to his lord in an encampment. He was dressed in a blue robe with silver edges. His face was not visible but he looked like a man quite advanced in age. He then learned that Superbia is responsible for the supreme strategies of the heresy; while it is also true that each Sin is independent, it is also true that a minimum of strategic organization is needed to prevent them from falling into traps or creating problems for the whole heresy.

Superbia filled that role, he and his house directed the other Sins when they were about to make possible mistakes or so they could improve their plans. Timoty did not know what the man had said to his lord on that occasion, but after he left they quickly dismounted the camp and moved several miles away. He did not know the reason for this, but he imagines it was the advice of Superbia.

To join the militia of Accidia one had to show total willingness to put one's whole self into the service of the house. When one was picked up one received a firebrand, depicting a dog lying at the foot of a tree on the right shoulder to show ownership of the house over the boy. After a few months of education and indoctrination one would receive the first assignments.

When and if the results were acceptable, one would be baptized. Timoty did not know what baptism consisted of, he had no friends who were baptized, he thought that if all went well he would be the first in his group.

-Do your homework and rest a few hours. We will leave soon. -

-Yes my lord. -

Timoty addressed a stiff greeting to his master then shifted slightly tilting his head as he was passed by Accidia.

When the latter overtook him and walked into the darkness Timoty looked up again and clenched his fists with a determined gaze.

If all went well in the coming days he would gain enough merit and presence to be able to obtain baptism. Then a new life would begin for him in his new family.

 

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