Chapter 74 Dawn of Battle (5) What lay under the skin of the priest was something that resembled an insect. It had sleek black chitin that resembled plate armor, and apart from the two black arms that strangely had six fingers with wicked long claws, there were also two insect-like limbs folded at the chest. He also noticed a series of openings by the side of the creature like the gills from a fish, and it opened and closed in the likeness of breathing, they expelled a sort of fog, that felt very dense as they fell to the ground without dispersal into the air, and in a short while, it was hard to see their legs beyond the knee. Creatures like this must be the source of the fog, Rowan thought, though judging by the amount this one produces, it would take tens of thousands of such creatures to produce the overwhelming amount of fog outside the manor that nearly reached the clouds. Or maybe there was another way of producing the fog, that requires less of such creatures to produce it, he clearly hoped it was the second option, not because they were a danger to him, but protecting his people would be far harder otherwise. Yet, since these creatures appear to be the source of the flying eyes, that would mean that anywhere there was deep fog, he may find them. Strangely, the priest he held aloft, kept weeping and crying out for his forgiveness, he seemed to be disconnected from what was underneath his skin. Rowan had grown more perceptive as his Spirit increased, and he had a frightening notion, that maybe the priest did not understand what he was under his skin. The terrible guilt that Purdue felt, made him accept that it was the right thing for Rowan to torture him, and what he only implored, was for him to say the prayers for the departed souls. Indeed, except for the gut twisting pain he must have felt when Rowan tore his skin away from him, there was nothing else to indicate that he understood what he was underneath. Almost as if he were two separate individuals occupying the same body. The whole room went silent, except for the weepings of the priest, everyone was dumbstruck. "Is he… like one of them?" A nervous man said, the sword in his hand shaking, "was he taken over by the Abominations?" "All of you, step outside." Rowan said,"Not you, Captain, you and your men should stay behind." The captain seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, before he settled and gestured for his men to stand beside him. Rowan was still holding the priest up, and he gently shook the crying man, "Look at yourself, priest." His words were like a command, and the distraught man seemed to be forced against his will, as he bent down and looked at himself. The action he took was a cruel thing, it was mostly to confirm if truly the priest was not aware of what had taken his body. Many expressions passed through the face of the priest, from perplexity, to incredulity, then anger and finally fear. Then he began to scream, and he soon broke into prayer, "Holy dark one, free my… flesh from this defilement. I, your son, come to you, seeking your favor and mercies, as my flesh has been desecrated, and…" This was the extent to which he could pray, before he broke down into sobs, he looked at Rowan confused and looked back at himself, at the alien creature beneath his skin, and his eyes slowly took the alacrity of acceptance, "I once… I once had a dream, you know, about the end of my days, and although I had this dream as a boy, I have never forgotten a single part of it. "Tell me."Rowan said to the priest. " I saw myself in a fall that never ended, it was as if I was thrown from the highest mountain and as I fell, the anticipation of the end kept building without ceasing, yet I never reached the ground, and even though the fall seemed endless, the fear of my body touching the ground never decreases, until it became everything I was… Fear. It was a dream that seemed to last forever and instantly. The Priest looked at Rowan, "My lord, I never knew of this thing below my skin, I would not betray all I stood for, just to become a Thrall of an Abomination." Rowan nodded, "I believe your words, Purdue. Please know that I deeply apologize for thinking that you allowed yourself, to become a Thrall of an Abomination. Forgive my lack of faith in your strength." The priest burst out in pained laughter, "Believe me my lord, it was nothing about my strength or will, I was just too weak to know or understand that I had been taken over." "I do not believe so. Nothing says more about your strength for an enemy to attack you with deception. We do not have much time, and I hope you can help me, tell me anything you know, no matter how small or how insignificant you might think they is." "I don't think I have anything to tell you, but … maybe this might be important, I began having a reoccurring dream a few years back. I saw myself going to a secret passage underneath my church, and inside that place were thousands of people who were being killed as they slept. I…" Rowan noticed that the two folded limbs in front of the priest began to twitch, they seemed as if they wanted to silence the priest, but their motion was weak, ignoring it for the moment, he nodded to the priest, encouraging him to continue, "I see myself, also underground, where there were endless passages, that goes ever deeper into the earth, until I fear they would reach Moloch halls." Throughout this speech, the movements of the body underneath the priest's skin had increased in its intensity, and he was beginning to bleed from all the orifices of his face. "My lord, if these are not dreams but the memories of this thing inside me, I fear that underneath our feet are countless souls being tortured and killed, not only for the purpose of creating Abominations, but for something more sinister." The voice of the priest cracked, and he sounded more like a haunted old man. No more blood could escape from his head anymore and his face began to tear open, exposing sections of bloody bones beneath. "My lord… those people…" "Will die!" Rowan said to him, "All of them! But first, you should perform the rites for the fallen, as it is, your duty." "My lord… I am unclean. I am no longer worthy of that right." "Shhh… In my eyes, there is no one more deserving of this right, than you." Rowan knew gods traditionally served as figures that bestowed forgiveness to people. He had the bloodline of Empyrean, making his potential far higher than any god. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 Although he did not know if he was worthy to absolve the sins of a tortured man, but as it is in many things in life, it was the appearance of power, rather than true power itself, that held sway. Rowan spoke to the dying man in a loud voice, and he let his presence as an Empyrean come through him, the eyes of the priest were shocked awake as Rowan gently dropped him on the ground, holding his head up, so the rest of him was hidden by the fog.