NOVEL NEXT Chapter 83: Tabula Rasa - A Cleansing Tide (Book 2 Prologue) (2)
Roscoe ran down the long tunnel looking for his god. As he ran, fueled by the unending energy of his belief, he crossed paths with the tiny human that also served his master. The one whose scent he had been tracking. She herself was running up the tunnel with a vigor that rivaled Roscoe's own. He could only assume that their god had given her a mission.
In respect for the wishes of their god, he made no move to intercept her, despite wanting to ask about the latest commands from on high. Instead, he continued to work his way down, following the trail the tiny human had left. Surely it would lead to the master. Actually, he considered, perhaps he shouldn't be calling her tiny human but rather Senior Sister. She had been his god's servant longer than he had.
Continuing down the winding passage, Roscoe's mind began to wander. He tried to imagine what kind of task the great disc would ask of him. The last time he had been called upon, he was asked to remove some unwanted humans. It would probably be something similar again. As much as Roscoe's god was merciful, it was also vengeful. It was a dichotomy that he thus far struggled to understand the balance of.
A god that was kind enough to give him a second chance, even after failing, but still willing to ask his disciples to slaughter all those who opposed it. Roscoe's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed an archway up ahead. He would have to meditate on this more in his free time. For now, he needed to find his next task.
***
Eventually, Roscoe emerged from the end of the tunnel into a huge room. He could see empty cubbies all along each of the huge walls. In the center, there were a few skeletons standing in neat ranks, seemingly waiting for something. Immediately Roscoe felt a kinship with these guardians. He could feel their purpose rolling off them in palpable waves.
As much as he admired their dedication, something was wrong with it. It was directed at the wrong thing. As Roscoe entered the chamber and approached the skeletons, one of them jovially clattered its teeth. The sound had a surprising depth and complexity to it. So much, in fact, that it seemed to communicate something along the lines of "Ho, a fellow traveler. Yet you are not as weak as our younger brethren that wander so lost down here. Would you care to explain why you move with such haste?"
Roscoe came to a halt next to the group. He hadn't yet found his master yet, but he could feel his will as though he were right next to him. It seemed that his god was talking to him, commanding him to spread the word of his coming. These skeletons seemed like fine individuals, yet they didn't understand. Roscoe would have no problem explaining it to them.
Well, he would have no problem if he was able to speak. He had only ever squeaked at humans, and they never seemed to understand him. He tried to strain his vocal cords to form some sort of language, yet nothing of the sort came out. Only the accursed squeaking of his kind emerged. Still, if the skeletons could communicate in such a strange manner, perhaps they could understand his own strange manner of speech.
"With ease, my friend. Thy words are smooth as the breeze and as clear as a thrice stilled pond." The lead skeleton assured him. Roscoe twitched his tail happily.
"Then let me tell you my story."
Roscoe started explaining his life from before his time with his god. It was hazy, and he wasn't sure he was getting all the details correct, but the gist was clear enough. The skeletons all listened, enraptured. After describing how he came to find himself in the great void of his master's domain, there were murmurs from his audience.
The rat cocked his head. "This part of my story seems to have struck a chord with you?"
One of the other skeletons responded, its teeth emitting a deeper and more gravelly set of sounds. "Aye. We too found ourselves in a grave darkness, did we. Though for my fellows and myself, that was the genesis of our awareness. If ye speak truth, and we've no cause to doubt, ye may be able to enlighten us of our greater purpose."
Roscoe didn't have any issues understanding these skeletons, though they did speak rather oddly. Slowly he found himself slipping into similar speech patterns as he learned to communicate in this new way. Still, he resisted completely copying their mannerisms, as he didn't wish them to think he was mocking them. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your purpose?"
The skeletons quickly chattered amongst themselves. Eventually, a skeleton with a gold tooth spoke up. "I have no qualms admitting my ignorance, you all must be true to thyselves." It turned to Roscoe. "Our purpose is a murky thing. There is some unknown will driving us, yet little do we understand of it. We sit here to guard this place, true, yet have no understanding why."
"So you all just guard this?" Roscoe asked, gesturing around to the room they were standing in with his tail. He received nods all around and muttered agreement, "Indeed."
One of the other skeletons spoke up. "As a whole, we also feel great distaste for demons!"
This pronouncement garnered a few cheers and many a raised skeletal fist. Roscoe thought of his time in the world of his god. Of how he contended with the captured demons. "Well, as luck would have it, I might indeed have something for you."
"My purpose might just fit with yours. I am the second servant of a god. A god who's void I was once suspended within. During my time there, my god showed me many things. And there was indeed one thing I learned in particular - his own contempt for demons. In fact, it imprisoned many, and they feared his wrath." Roscoe was really starting to get into his groove as he recounted the demons that had raged at their imprisonment.
***
After Roscoe finished telling his tale, he looked around the circle of skeletons sitting around him. The gold-toothed skeleton was the first to break the silence. "I find it blatantly obvious. This god of yours is clearly the god for us."
Before Roscoe could celebrate bringing the word of his god to his first converts, a new skeleton spoke up. "Nay, I say - must needs we cling unto a god? Are we yet so desperate for direction and an iron fist around our throats? Our bodies be possessed of enough gaps that I see no need to pursue yet another type of holiness. Why shall we not goeth down our own wandering path?"
Roscoe thought that this discussion was getting a little out of hand. Still, it was fascinating. He knew he had his god, but why was it so? The first skeleton responded before Roscoe could, "I think thou art approaching it wrong. Why must we speak of need? Is it not enough to simply have? We lack purpose and require direction, a goal to take aim at."
Before the discussion continued, Roscoe jumped in. "Is my god the god for you? I don't think this question is one that matters. Clearly your interests align with those of following the void. It will oppose the demons you hate and will give you purpose beyond guarding this tomb."
There was a moment of silence that didn't last very long before an explosion of side conversation. Roscoe had several different questions thrown at him. Exulting in the opportunity to speak at length of his god, he began to speak of what he had seen and experienced again. This time, instead of a simple recounting, they dug deep into the meaning behind the actions. They tried to decipher the hidden messages the god of the void tried to convey to him.
***
The discussion ran long. For many days they sat in the circle and debated. Eventually, even the more skeptical skeletons came around. By the end of the first week, they had come to a basic consensus. The god of the void was worth at least the basic courtesy of some level of service out of appreciation for waking them from the endless darkness.
The conservative estimate on their service was at least a century, though Roscoe was pushing for that to be more. Of course, many would serve longer but would be free to go their own way after the period. When asked, the proponents of freedom didn't really have any plans. Mostly, they felt that voluntary service was more meaningful. Roscoe had some sympathy for that argument but worried that some position would shield ingrates from having to give proper deference.
Seeing that they had reached an impasse, Roscoe moved to table the motion and discuss plans going forward.
His experience with humans so far had greatly colored his opinion of them. To his surprise, the skeletons were in full support of the eradication of all humans not following their god.
One of the skeletons chattered thoughtfully, "Aye. I think we can all get behind the extermination project. Sounds like these humans need a lesson or two. My only question is about the exceptions. Some of them might follow our god, right? Well how do we tell? From what you say, the believers don't have any official regalia."
Roscoe needed to start naming these skeletons, and they were starting to get difficult to distinguish. As they talked, each one developed their own personality more and more. They even had different speech patterns. The last one who spoke had almost modern diction. One of the more "fire and brimstone" skeletons answered, "I say with all surety that such individuals should make themselves plain. If such a question doeth arise we should err on the side of fury. A true believer surely will fall on the mercy of our god for protection."
"Who art thou to such burden our god unceasingly! Is it not our calling to serve with all our might? Must we so quickly abandon such a simple task?" Roscoe had decided on the name of Saul for this one. The fire and brimstone one would be Peter.
"If the question does come up I think we can take each case as it comes. If they attack us…." Roscoe decided now was a good time to jump in. His word wasn't law. The only law was the word from the void. For now, he was more of a first among equals. His voice was listened to, but it was still questioned. The group settled into a debate.
Occasionally a new skeleton would join them from the depths. As they argued and debated, the new ideas helped them hone their arguments. As their arguments grew stronger, so did their fervor.
***
Eventually, they could feel something stirring above them. Something tugged on their souls, and to them, it was clear their god was calling them to service. Now that the majority of debate was settled, their group started to make its way to the surface.
When they got there, they found that they were not needed quite yet. They retreated down the last set of stairs to wait. For the first time in a long time, the philosophical discussion was stalled out. Instead, they focused on trying to figure out what they were called to do.
Saul thought there was some enemy that they would be facing. Peter, though, believed there would be some inciting incident that would kick off the crusade. These two had developed distinct factions, each maybe getting consistently about 25% agreement on a course of action.
The rest of the group was independent. Roscoe tried to stay clear of picking sides in a debate but rather tried to give the gray areas some attention and overall guide the discussion. Because of his neutrality, he acted as an arbiter, many times diffusing a near shouting match.
This time though, Roscoe had to agree with Peter. "I'm of the opinion that when we feel the final call, we should assess the threats and deal with whatever our god currently is not addressing. Be that be fighting off a specific enemy as ordered or anything else."
***
The call came soon. Huge waves of power rippled from above them as they felt their god engage in battle. They rushed up the tunnel and stairs. It took them a while, and Roscoe cursed them for not having camped closer to the exit. After what felt like an age, they finally reached the surface.
When they finally did emerge, Roscoe smelled what was going on. Inside the castle, he could smell the senior sister alongside another human acolyte assisting their god. Outside, there was a large gathering of humans. Ones that were approaching the castle.
"We need to check outside. There are humans coming." Roscoe announced. The group agreed, following the rat's lead into the courtyard. As they did, many of their missing brethren flew through the front door, splintering it.
As the newly arrived skeletons reformed, Roscoe started conversing with the ones that were intact enough to listen. They told a story similar to that of Roscoe, though abridged due to the situation. That the god of the void swallowed them, they saw the imprisoned demons, they had been given power, and then they were set loose on an enemy of the god. This time though, it was a massive demon that they were fighting.
It was a pleasant surprise to find that they all had a lot in common. Especially since Roscoe didn't have the time to launch into discussions like those that his friends had been having in the last few weeks, it only took a couple of minutes to get them on board with the human genocide, especially with an army of humans moving to attack their god's castle.
Soon enough, the skeletons were all reformed. Without wasting any time, they charged forth to go impose the will of their god upon the world.