The Heart is a Void: Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 127: Speak of the Devil

"For we shall see him as he is."

Crucis typed a quick message to DicingDevil, saying to look out for people rushing out and looking for a fight after hearing Massie.

Meanwhile, the preaching on the stage continued.

"Why do your people look wan, drop their shoulders, and wish to surrender the fight? I can tell you. It is because they have been misled by the world.

"You have heard your leaders foolishly vaunt about their might, and about how easily they would overwhelm their enemies. And you have thought to arm yourselves with the might of the flesh, as surety of victory."

He paced the stage, surveying the crowd with his now accusatory, stiff glare.

"Who among you has forgotten the earth-shaking words of the Apostle? 'For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places'! Against powers and principalities!

"And, lo, I have shown you the signs, and the presence of the demons. You have seen the wild, bright demon who appeared right before the war, and whom I proclaimed a sign of Satan's presence. But your leaders told you that it was just ill chance! And you have seen the wild violence of your foes, and their hatred for righteousness. The truth is clear, that they are demons, and they serve their master, Satan!

"Yet many have gone, complacent, and have been surprised by the power of Satan. Your swords and your bows have dissolved like tears in blood. For I tell you, Satan is the Prince of this World! This world is his menagerie of horrors! The greatest human might could not overcome him. Yet you shall rise up again, as an army of God, and in greatness of faith you shall face your enemy without fear.

"Woe unto you, who have fought the Prince of this World, yet believed the word of your worldly leaders. For they have said that all would survive, even in a battle with bloodthirsty demons! And now many of you weep for the death of your family members, even though you thoughtlessly spurred them to their death with your lies and complacency. I come to you in the Lord, and that is why I speak honestly when they have lied, for I come not to deceive you but to show you the instruction of your shepherd. If you listen to me, you shall not despair like this again!

"You have seen your leaders thrown into confusion, at the horrors in Mokra. Who were the perpetrators? And why can none agree what they looked like? It is an absolute proof of the demons, for they are spirits without flesh! They have taken many forms, for their earthly form is amorphous. So witness the futility of worldly might! Only through God can we cast out demons, but we are powerless on our own. Now, the mighty have been humbled, and the great have been brought down, even the brave tremble and sicken! How can you fail to take refuge in the call of the Lord?

"And God shall not keep you without hope. For He has sent me to you, to cast out demons, and to lead you when your leaders have failed. And I tell you, if you should raise your blade against the foe, and God has stood by you, then your foe shall not stand! The might of the Lord shall secure you against demons, and He shall dispense to your blade's edge the holy water that shall consume them.

"Have you not read of how God protected his people? It lines so many pages of his Word. For his people, those of the Promised Land, were engaged in many wars, and the hand of the Lord strengthened them and secured their victory. Think even of David, and his defeat of the giant, Goliath! Do not fear proving weak, for by the Lord's grace you shall be strong.

"The Lord shall save his people, even if the world were flooded they should withstand the deluge. Your army must be guided by faith, for otherwise it shall falter. Do not hesitate to raise your blade against your enemy! For remember, the Lord's arm is stronger than your own. If you taste defeat, then you shall be a martyr, and the Lord will hear your sacrifice louder than any prayer. Who shall denigrate the martyrs who rest by God's right hand? But when we attain victory, it shall not be according to earthly strength, but shall be because the Lord's arm has guided us. Do not fear the weapons of earth, but fear the look of hatred that God shall give to those who acquiesced to these celebrating demons without a fight!"

Crucis saw five to seven people running out of the building, screaming and running out of Kruxol to try and find some DeathGang members to fight with.

They were quickly cut off by prepared DeathGang members, who swarmed them. Their agony could be heard even from this building. However, Massie ignored them, and continued to speak.

"Zion shall grow in this desert!

"I tell you, the struggle shall be difficult, even as the exodus of the chosen people was difficult. And there shall be doubt and sorrow. But let the Lord lead us, and we shall live in his protection, and Jersualem shall be builded here!

"Yes, there will be sorrow! But do not relent in your struggle, and do not let the demons have their victory.

"It is said, 'You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.'

"Then we cannot cease the struggle now, and seek peace, as some of your leaders crave! Look upon the many martyrs, did they succumb to their oppressors, to the enemies of their faith? So too shall you not surrender.

"And you shall be comforted.

"For God knows the secrets of your hearts. He knows your misery, and it pains Him to know of it! He will not leave you in this torment, just as he did not condemn the exodus to a desert without end. For how shall we be parched, when our Lord has once raised the sea to swallow all of the world? But He will save you, and will raise you to be the light of the world.

"The Lord is great and terrible, and to hear His voice is to be petrified. For I have heard it on waking, and could not move, for I was frozen to a stone by fear. And now my soul is as a stone, furnished with the armour of the Lord's word, and I speak to you that which I have heard. For do not think that I would say aught, unless the Lord had commanded it!

"For, in the morning, you listened to your leaders, and they told you that you would prevail.

"But, as I have told to you, Jesus spoke fearfully in my ear this morning, and He said, You shall not prevail, unless the hand of God lifts your weapons and fastens your armour; for even the swords of the strong shall be too heavy, and your shields shall be broken upon the earth, if He does not lift them.

"And He said, Many shall perish by the demons, for at the moment when they thought themselves most safe, lo! the demons have smote their throats.

"And now He has told me, It is good to marry, for man should cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh, that by this miracle they may realise His presence and feel His power joining them.

"And finally, Each man who is slain by the demons shall receive rewards in Heaven, for he has joined me on the cross; let the brave be a thorn in the enemy's side, proving by their bravery the justness of our cause, and let the patient and righteous grow an army that can upend the demon league.

"You have seen that the Lord has spoken true of the events this morning! Do not doubt, then, and raise your swords to fight for His cause!

"I shall return in half an hour, after taking confessions, in order to speak to you at length about the war, marriage, Mokra, and other topics that are of current importance. You may wait for me, or gather more to the herd."

The applause was interrupted as a small group of people, looking mostly Middle Eastern, tried to force their way towards the front of the stage and screamed towards the crowd.

"Do not heed this preacher of evil!"

"No war! No corruption! No Massie!"

"These guys have been causing trouble for a while, though they have some points," Ryan explained. "They're a fringe dualist group that opposes war, marriage, and 'corruption,' that is, favour being given towards those who donate to Massie. But they're growing in influence after the war, since people now find their strict anti-war message sympathetic."

"Why do they hate Massie so much?" Crucis asked.

"Well, their beliefs have always clashed, so they've been resistant to his preaching. But, of late, he also 'stole' one of their major members, named Marie-Clare, and took her as a wife and assistant. They've been fairly vocal in targetting him since then."

"I see. So they've mostly become popular for their stance on the war?"

"There's also been some controversy on marriage, some people are saying that marriage here is just for the sake of pleasure, and therefore is irreligious. It hasn't stopped most believers, however, but it does mean that many more traditional people are open to this sect. There's still frequent controversy over the matter."

"People will probably adapt: I doubt that people are going to stay here without marrying for that long, and their religion will probably follow. A religion can't outlast their feelings. People are like vultures: the more popular you are with them, the less flesh you will be left with."

"That much is true. Even with Massie, I think people mostly like the spectacle and how he plays into their own anger, rather than always understanding his archaic speech. But for now there's friction. Anyway, Massie's next speech will be in half an hour. You can wait here, I'll just have to dash backstage to arrange things. The next speech will be even more flashy, and probably more crowded."

As Ryan jogged off, Crucis looked around the hallway, and saw a small queue of people with bowed heads in front of a green door to the far-left of the building. The door was tinged with a hint of aquamarine, and he saw Massie walk in with a follower. The queue must be for confessions and conversions, so he joined it. Everyone was silent as the grave, so Crucis didn't say anything. Slowly, the line moved forward, as people were invited through the green door.

Soon, he had reached the front, and a follower of Massie, dressed in tight, white robes, came up to him to ask his name.

"Karna," he said humbly.

It was the pseudonym which the DeathGang infiltrator had used when recommending him as a new follower.

"Ah, excellent." The follower turned to a group of similarly-dressed people standing behind him, to confirm that this was the Karna that they had mentioned. After this, he turned around, seemingly satisfied. "Yes, you may enter next. We are happy to have received a new follower, and you will be instructed on how to join us once you have been cleansed of your sins. The Father shall lead you in, shortly."

Soon, Massie emerged from the door, and walked up to Crucis, greeting him simply with, "Welcome, God be with you."

Crucis bowed in response.

Massie led him through the green door, which creaked ceremoniously to a shut behind him, and down a narrow, twisting corridor into the back section of the building.

A young, blonde girl with blotchy, pale skin walked up to them, carrying a large, golden basket. She was wearing a tight, black shirt, jeans, and a powder-like white scarf around her neck. Crucis noticed that she had a small, black copy of the Bible stuffed haphazardly into her back pocket, seemingly in a hurry. Why would she need to hide the Bible?

Regardless, Massie, who seemed somewhat short-sighted and had often had to feel across the walls for a sense of direction, didn't seem to notice it.

"This is Marie-Clare, my partner," Massie said, turning to Crucis. "What sins have you to confess? Many have told me that they felt their soul was in dire straits, due to greed, desertion, lying that death could not occur, or even unknowingly taking another's life. And surely God will not look kindly on this wretchedness! But He shall spare you His whip, if you put aside your pride and render unto His church an offering to aid our preaching. For pride is the most treacherous sin, and if you have overcome it then it will show your worth to the Lord."

"Yes, you may place any offerings here," Marie-Clare added, in a wispy, faintly French voice. She lowered a hand gently towards the basket, to indicate it.

"What kind of offerings would you welcome?" Crucis asked, keeping up an air of interestedness in order to build rapport.

"We'd love onyx coins, but you can really give anything," she said, smiling lightly.

"You should make offerings in coins of onyx, because we are saving them and it will allow us to buy powerful mounts for our men. Don't donate gold, since gifting it is limited and you are better off giving an item. The amount depends on the severity of your sin."

"Hm. I have some onyx coins on hand, but I would like to discuss the nature of my sins first, so that I can ascertain how much I must give."

He didn't have any onyx coins. Those were a paywalled token that could be exchanged for valuable, rare - if often cosmetic - items like mounts, gems or clothing. They required a red-tinted [Fire-glass Box] to store them, a no-drop item which was also paywalled, and as a result Crucis didn't have any way to obtain and keep them.

All the same, he figured that it might be useful to claim that he did, in order to get the priest's attention.

"Excllent," Massie said. "Then let us enter the confessional. There, we can estimate the correct price. Marie-Clare, go out to the back and fetch some of my notes for the speech later."

Marie-Clare nodded, and half-curtseyed before turning away, light on her feet. "I'm glad we have someone strong over. He'll help us win the war, I'm sure of it! Don't you think so?"

"The greatest strength is an unyielding belief in God," Massie replied, dismissively.

Crucis noticed that Marie-Clare's carefree demeanour quickly sunk, and her heels almost dug into the ground as she slouched down.

"...Fine, alright. But could you please stop being passive-aggressive every time I speak?"

"I am not. It is the teaching of Paul that, 'I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.' I have even allowed you to preach to believers, you should complain that I am not strict enough."

She didn't say a word, just walked away.

"Never mind that. She gets stressed sometimes, I think she used to run with some radical heretics," Massie said. "She is still adapting to the way of Christ, but she is learning well."

"Like the ones making a ruckus right now?"

"Yes, exactly. So she is not quite in her right mind."

"I see."

Massie led him into a moderate, wooden room, which had been adapted as a makeshift confessional, and sat on a large, white chair placed in the centre.

"Now speak, what have you to confess?" Massie said.

Crucis noticed that Massie's approach to confessional was quite unusual, including the offering of indulgences prior to it. That wasn't entirely unexpected, since giving a confession in a game would come across as unconventional anyway, but it seemed to also owe to Massie's personal idiosyncracies. Crucis wasn't entirely sure how to begin, however, so he just opted to try something conventional, taking on a timid voice to sound more convincing.

"Bless me, father, for I have sinned -"

"No need for that," Massie said. "Get right to the heart of the matter, and tell me of your sins."

"As you wish. Firstly, I have looked by without resistance as Jarius, who was leading our team through a dungeon, killed others out of greed. I did not think to even speak up, or contradict him. My heart had grown callous through selfishness."

"Ah, that is a grave matter. Have you raised the issue since?"

"I have, and refused to join his Guild. But I did not object in the moment, and I am still accursed for it."

"Very well. Jarius is the leader of the GildedKnights, yes?"

"Yes, that is true."

"I see. Yes, they have taken many people along with them. But witness the way of worldliness! Even when they have assisted you, they have brought great calumny upon your soul. This is why I have said that people should not have trusted their leaders."

"Yes, and they have lied to us, and failed in the combat with the demons, because they did not understand what they were facing."

"You speak the truth. That is why our faith must take precedent, and we must organise under its banners."

"Yes, and why the Lord has sent you to guide his flock. Because otherwise, we are led astray."

Crucis spoke in a trance-like, doctrinaire tone, imitating what he had heard from most of Massie's followers.

"Indeed. The masses need a path to God, for they are in disarray, and despair, without His guidance. And, by joining my following, you shall become the light of the world, and shall bring the people back to God. So do not fear to confess your sins, for your sins shall be forgiven, out of God's infinite generosity towards His flock. And you shall be placed on a pedestal, when His will is restored on earth."

"Now that the worldly leaders are humbled, I do not doubt that God's voice should be heard again."

"Yes. They have used up all of their power, and the demons have gained victory with a small smidgeon of their own wicked power. If we do not all acknowledge the superiority of the Lord, then all of this struggle will be in vain, and we will be hunted down like dodos and put to rest."

"But will there not be resistance, if you try to unite all people under the banner of Christ? I would hope greatly for our success, but you will be trying to overcome the might of all the world, and even of demons."

"In the Lord, even this is possible! I shall speak, and the leaders of this world shall bow before me, or perish. They shall be as my slaves, for I am the Lord's messenger, and He shall exalt me above them all. In this way, the world shall be ruled by the faith."

He gestured grandly, even raising his hands to the low ceiling once, to convey this vision.

"Yes. And then our despair shall end, because from such a high pulpit you could drive out all the world's demons."

"It has been said that the Lord could form rivers in the desert. Even so, in the midst of despair and hopelessness, the word of God shall give us hope and sustenance. Witness, could my preaching have been so effective, were it not backed by the Lord? And He shall make it stronger still, until it tames the earth. And I have often told Marie-Clare, 'you should not be surprised at my prominence now, for soon we shall both be enthroned like kings.' Even this, the Lord shall bring to pass."

"Thank you, your speech has eased my heart. I have worried for many days over this, and would like to give you a gift in return, although truly a soul at ease is priceless. Accept what I can offer."

He drew out the 'key to life,' which glowed brightly across the room, its light almost bleaching the dark, wooden walls.

Massie looked on, as if entranced by its sight.

"This is a humble offering, but it is rare," Crucis said.

"Why, thank you! It is excellent," Massie said, slightly manically. "I am sure Marie-Clare will be excited, she actually had a dream yesterday, she was a Queen and all the world was listening to her words. Now I can give her this!"

"Perhaps her dreams have summoned your triumph. For this is the gateway to your dreams, and to hers," Crucis said softly. "It is the promise of Heaven, heard on earth."

Massie was staring intently at the key, smiling insanely as he heard Crucis' words, and grabbed the key hastily.

In a moment, he saw fire erupt all around him, and an ashen black figure, tinted with flame-like red, rising mightily where Crucis had stood. The figure seemed to ignore the searing flames coiling around him.

"Begone, devil!" Massie shouted. "The Lord has defeated you on the cross, and you have no power here! The man of faith shall prevail!"

The figure laughed, a harsh, metallic sound like a sword dragged against granite.

"I fell like lightning from the Heavens," it proclaimed. "Once I lived in realms of bliss, but life changes in a moment. What further defeat could your wrath work on me?"

"The word of one who worships the Lord is enough to overcome the devil! Avaunt!"

"Then celebrate your triumph."

The creature grabbed his throat, and dragged it heavily forward, stabbing into it with a long, sharply-curved black claw that curved down to pierce his heart.

As the scene faded, Crucis stood alone in the room, motionless in place. In front of him was a large, crater-like expanse of charred floor, decorated by the faint ashes of Massie's body.

He calmly used [Agile Step] to sneak out through the walls of the building, before anyone could come to check on the situation.