Cult of the Lamb : Rise of the Black Crown

Chapter 13: Coalesce

Narinder was surprised to see Aym and Baal enter his Domain again. He had been sure the twins meant to abandon their duty. He sat up on his throne, watching them approach and smirked a little at the sight of their bow.

"We have returned, Master." Aym said carefully. Narinder stood up, looking down upon them. When he did not speak, the servant continued. "Please forgive our transgressions. We wish to repent."

"I see... Am I correct in assuming Baal has surmounted his jealousy then?"

"Yes, Master. You have my sincere apology for the foolish behavior. It was dishonorable, and unacceptable, it will not happen again." Baal promised.

"Very well, I accept. Do not fail me again."

"Yes, Master!" The two swore in unison.

"You may stand..." Narinder granted and they obliged, standing before him.

"I feel it is prudent that I reiterate my orders. You are not, under any circumstances, to discuss the goings on in my Domain with anyone outside of it. Not the Lamb, not Nykka, not a soul."

"Yes, Master." They repeated with a nod.

"You have been told, I am sure, that Nykka and I struck an accord. You have been informed that I agreed not to harm either of you, or the Lamb. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Master." The twins spoke again, it was almost robotic. Narinder felt deep satisfaction in their behavior.

"Be warned, I am on the cusp of breaking this infernal tie between Nykka and I. I nearly resisted her, and with a little more power, I am sure I can overcome her manipulations. That said, once I am free of her control, I will be free to do as I please once more. Meaning, I will be free to punish further disobedience as I see fit. Is that understood?"

"We understand, Master!" Narinder nodded.

"In your absence, I have considered my recent actions. I have decided that I acted rashly, and was unfair in my harsh punishments. For that, I apologize." The twins were silent, seeming unsure how to respond to an apology. "Make no mistake, I will not hesitate to kill you for acts such as treason. But, minor failures should not grant such a harsh sentence. It would be foolish of me to kill you so easily, you both are an asset to me as of now."

"Thank you, Master." Aym said, bowing appreciatively.

"I will still allow you to leave in times when my need for you is scarce. For now, I will require you both to bring me more Followers. I need twenty for what I have planned."

"Yes, Master!" They bowed.

"Go now, return when you are finished." He ordered and they instantly obeyed, rushing off side by side. Narinder watched them leave then looked out to his grounds. He would soon construct his temple, as he knew Nykka would do the same. Additionally, he knew he must surpass her power in order to resist her control. For that, he would need to sacrifice many Followers, something she would not be able to do herself due to her vows. This was the edge he had over her, for sacrifice gave far more devotion than love and prayer alone. And that was all she had.

Narinder was careful about how he used the Followers his servants sent to him. He wanted to maintain at least thirty to efficiently fill his shrine, therefore he waited until six had arrived to replace those sacrificed during his most recent fight with the Lamb. After those initial six, he was able to begin his rise over Nykka. The God stood from his throne and pointed his scythe towards one of the many Followers at his shrine.

"You there, Follower! Approach." He ordered coldly. The creature in question stood without hesitation, running to their Master and bowing before him.

"How may I serve you, Master?"