A Tale of Heroes - Scene 12: Antonerri

Antonneri lay on the cold stone floor of the holding cell, the dark of doom swirling in the smoky air around him. He had been to places like here before, but always on the other side of the bars. A faint glow from a small table across the main room cast faint shadows around him. His muscles ached, his head ached. Even deeper, his heart ached. And through the ache was a core of confusion.

He rolled over and heaved himself up onto his knees and hands. His physical aches were the residue of blasts of light power he had received at the hands of a Sacerdotis Confessoris - The Priest Confessor of the Church of Three Lights. His deeper aches and confusion were also residual of the same blasts.

He had grown up in the shadow of the Church, serving as a young boy, longing for the day that he could join the Holy Guard as a soldier of The Creator. When he achieved that goal, it was the happiest day of his life. As a holy soldier, he was ready to defend the weak and serve the downtrodden.

His early duties were not so exciting, mostly protecting high priests and relics. He didn’t mind, though. He was proud to wear the three lights on his chest.

He sat back on his heels, kneeling into a familiar position of prayer. Please, he began, help me understand!

Memories of a few short days ago filled his mind. He had been assigned with a corps of guard to protect a Count of the Twynne Rivers High Council as he traveled through the InnerWall area of the city, gathering taxes from his subjects. All went well for the first few stops, then they came upon a shopkeeper who couldn’t pay.

Antonerri saw the image of the poor man’s crying face as he begged for more time. The troop was ordered to “render justice” by beating him and seizing his property.

What did I do that was wrong? Please, help me see!

He saw the rage on the face of the Count as Antonerri refused to execute the order. Then he saw the other soldiers of the guard, his colleagues, turn on him, beating him, binding him, and delivering him to the dungeon of the guard tower.

His pains intensified as he remembered The Priest Confessor’s visit.

His own tears streamed down as he prayed. I just want to know why! Am I not there to protect the weak? Why am I here?

The acrid smoke in the room added to the burning in his eyes and the gloom covering his heart. He knew the smell. It reminded him of the times he had captured a thief or a heretic and brought them to a place like this. He had thought they deserved this treatment for their sins and their crimes. All those times he never dreamed he would be one of them.

With a creak, a door near him opened and a brighter glimmer of light broke into the space, broken only by the metal bars that grew up from the floor in front of him to reach the ceiling.

The door parted further and two guards of the city’s militia stepped in, dragging a body in a rain-soaked black cloak between them. In a spare hand, one of them carried a lantern that cast spinning shadows as it swung under his hand. They lurched past his cell. After fussing with the keys, they swung the door to the neighboring cell open, and dropped the other prisoner inside. One of the guards moved to the table and tossed a few more grains of incense into a small metal bowl smoldering there. The other clanged the cell door shut, then glared at Antonerri.

“Yeah, you’d best be praying!” He said in a raspy voice, then laughed as they both closed the main door behind them. Dark and sorrow closed around Antonerri again as he bowed his head.

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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing.


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